The FIFA (Fédération Internationale de Football Association) World Cup is just around the corner. Believe it or not, it’s already been four years since the 2022 World Cup stunned the crowd with shocking plays, game-changing injuries and a final featuring the France National Football Team and the Argentina National Football Team.
The upcoming 2026 World Cup is expected to be even more exciting, featuring new additions such as 16 more teams competing, two new countries who have never qualified before, and for the first time, the matches will be held in three different countries: The United States, Mexico and Canada.
Nico Kincheloe, a junior on the Oak Park High School varsity soccer team, is excited for the opportunities the World Cup holds.
“I think the World Cup is a great place for future stars to show how good they can really be on the biggest stage in the world,” Kincheloe said. “It’s a proving point for players like Ronaldo and Messi to showcase that they still have it in them to win another tournament.”
The World Cup sparks excitement across the globe, and many soccer players such as Lamine Yamal, Erling Haaland and Cole Palmer get the chance to debut on a global platform. On the other hand, soccer legends like Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and Neymar Jr. are rumored to be taking their final bow on the 2026 World Cup stage.
In preparation for this year’s World Cup, 206 teams competed to qualify for the World Cup, starting on Sept. 7, 2023. Out of those 206 teams, 48 qualified to compete. The host countries automatically qualify.
On Dec. 5, the official FIFA World Cup 2026 Final Draw secured each team into its play-off groups. The Group Stage separates the teams into 12 groups of four. The United States is expected to play in Group D against Paraguay, Australia and the winner of the European Play-Off C (Turkey, Romania, Kosovo or Slovakia).
Each team plays every team in their group once and the top two from each group, plus the eight best third-place teams, will advance to the new 32-team knockout stage. The knockout stage will consist of single elimination games, meaning the team that loses will be eliminated from the tournament. This will continue until one team earns the title of World Cup champions.
Ryan Ritter, a sophomore on the junior varsity soccer team, is looking forward to the excitement the World Cup brings.
“This is the final showdown for the best of the best,” Ritter said. “I’m trying to go to the games. It’s gonna be fun.”
The World Cup will be closer to Oak Park than it has ever been, hosting eight of its games in Inglewood’s SoFi Stadium. Many students are trying to get tickets to watch one of the matches.
“I’m trying to get tickets to some of these games,” Ritter said. “I’m motivated because my dad is making me have to work to get there.”
For many students, the World Cup is not just a sporting event, but a tradition that they grew up with.
“I remember the 2018 World Cup, I watched every single game,” Kincheloe said. “That was definitely my favorite.”
The World Cup is anticipating major economic impacts on its host cities this upcoming summer.
As a result of hosting eight matches, Los Angeles alone is expected to attract 150,000 out of town visitors and will realize up to $594 million in total economic impact. This means that hotels, restaurants, shops and other businesses will benefit directly, creating more engagement for local owners. In addition, out of town visitors are projected to contribute $343 million in direct spending and generate an estimated $35 million in new tax revenue in Los Angeles County.
Job opportunities through FIFA are abundant, including coordinators, venue transport, and infrastructure. Micronomics predicts a gain in wages of $243.2 million, proving that hosting the matches creates instrumental jobs that citizens of Los Angeles can benefit from.
Many members of Oak Park and neighboring towns are seeking volunteer opportunities through the World Cup. FIFA is expecting 65,000 volunteers, and had over 1 million applicants. Volunteers will provide support across 23 areas such as stadiums, training sites, airports and hotels.
Jackie Alcala is hoping to be one of the many who volunteer for the global event.
“It was really inspiring to see the presence of volunteers from all over the world shape the atmosphere of the Paris 2024 Olympics,” Alcala said.
Alcala finds the World Cup to be a pivotal event, and is especially excited for it to be in Los Angeles.
“The World Cup has always had a way of inspiring me to dream, marvel at human endurance, and see the beauty of teamwork,” Alcala said. “It makes me so excited to think of our city coming alive and enjoying fellowship over the matches.”
Geraldine Alcala is also interested in the volunteer opportunity. Geraldine Alcala was inspired to volunteer from the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany, the first tournament she watched as a child. Ever since then, she has looked forward to it every four years, and is excited about the opportunities the FIFA World Cup brings being so close to home.
“I’d like to be a part of something special in bringing the experience and excitement to the fans who come and visit,” Geraldine Alcala said. “I’ve never seen my city host a major tournament in my lifetime, so I’m looking forward to experiencing that.”
However, the complexity of hosting a global tournament of this size does not come without challenges. Big events indicate an influx in traffic and, in an already notoriously congested Los Angeles, the World Cup can stand as a burden to many Los Angelians.
The conflict is even more exacerbated when its environmental impacts come into play. With the upgrade from 32 to 48 teams, the World Cup is estimated to generate approximately 9.02 million tonnes of carbon dioxide through air transport and other sources. The past World Cups since 2010 averaged 4.71 million tonnes of carbon dioxide, which means the 2026 World Cup will have a 92% increase in its usual carbon emissions.
Another problem is the location of the World Cup matches. Because of the games spanning across a continent rather than just a country, transportation and air travel may pose an issue. n. During the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, the stadiums all spanned a 40-mile radius.
This year, the distance from different stadiums can be anywhere from 100 miles to 2,000 miles. The air transportation carbon emissions will be four times the typical World Cup between 2010-2022, shaping the 2026 World Cup to be the most polluting yet.
In addition to the environmental effects the World Cup brings, extreme climate conditions are expected to hit players, fans, and workers.
The New Weather Institute reported that many venues face dangerous weather that could be a catalyst for numerous public health emergencies. Most detrimentally is AT&T Stadium in Dallas experiences 37 days annually with temperatures above 95°F. Additionally, NRG Stadium in Houston has a high flooding risk, wildfire exposure, and the highest July Wet Bulb Global Temperature. Grouped with these stadiums is SoFi Stadium, who also needs to figure out a way to manage the heat.
According to the New Weather Institute, Hard Rock Stadium in Miami “is subject to critical flood projections with an 8.1 property risk score combined with heightened hurricane exposure during peak storm season.”
Though the weather conditions are concerning, many efforts by FIFA and the World Health Organization have been made or are in the process of being implemented to prevent weather conflicts. These efforts include mandatory hydration breaks, heat threshold policies, and partnering with the World Health Organization.
Player unions like the International Federation of Professional Footballers are pushing for stronger standards such as lowering the heat threshold, more frequent cooling breaks, and an increase in match postponements when conditions are dangerous. Through all the hurdles, the World Cup is a pivotal symbol of cultural diversity, global unity, and shows how sports can connect the world while highlighting national pride.
As the 2026 World Cup approaches, it’s clear that communities across Los Angeles are excited for the cultural celebration the World Cup holds. Whether the excitement comes from being able to watch the games, the increase in travelers, the economic benefits or just the novelty that the tournament brings, the World Cup is expected to be bigger than it has ever been. For Los Angeles and the world alike, the World Cup is a reminder of how sports can inspire, unite and create memories that will last a lifetime.
