If you can’t tailgate at the World Cup, then what’s the point?
We’re closing in on the beginning of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. North America is the host of the tournament this year, with the United States, Canada and Mexico all set to host World Cup games. Many football stadiums across the country – like in Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Houston, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Philadelphia Seattle and the San Francisco Bay area – will be transformed into football stadiums for the competition.
The United States team will start in Group D for the “Group Stage,” and will be looking to go on a run to capture their first ever World Cup trophy:
And while American soccer fans are excited that the World Cup is hosting games in North America, they aren’t so happy with this latest update from FIFA.
The organization behind the World Cup has announced that traditional tailgating will not be allowed at many host sites in the United States of America. Stadiums like Arrowhead Stadium (home of the Kansas City Chiefs), MetLife Stadium (home of the New York Giants) and Gillette Stadium (home of the New England Patriots) are normally hotspots for tailgates during the NFL season.
But for the World Cup, they’ll have to give that American tradition up.
FIFA is saying that tailgating won’t be allowed in order to cut down on security concerns. That and the World Cup calls for a larger safety perimeter than regular NFL games, thus translating to fewer available parking spaces. The tournament organizers have also stated that hospitality events taking place outside of the stadiums contributes to the no-tailgating rule.
All of the sudden, the FIFA World Cup is starting to feel like a headache for certain North American host sites. One other issue that’s come up is public transit. According to The Athletic, train ticket prices from New York’s Penn Station to Metlife Stadium will cost over $100 a piece. That normal route usually runs people just over $10. And if World Cup goers do want to drive themselves to the game, the average parking cost is hovering around $175.
And don’t even get me started on get-in ticket prices.
It’s a shame that high prices and no-tailgating is going to negatively affect the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Usually, host countries get to really showcase their culture during the largest single-sport tournament in the world. One of the staples of American sports is tailgating outside the stadium (specifically grilling red meat and throwing back beers), and FIFA went and outlawed soccer fans from partaking in the proud, American sports tradition.
Does it make sense that FIFA needs to establish a larger security perimeter? Yes, it does. But is it a shame that they couldn’t figure out how to allow tailgating, or at least tailgating elements, into the World Cup being hosted in America (and Mexico and Canada)? I’d say so. I don’t see them walking back the ban of tailgating, but it’d certainly be a popular decision if they did so before the games begin.
The World Cup starts in June and runs through July.
