FIFA World Cup 2026 opens across US, Canada and Mexico amid privacy and visa concerns

The 2026 FIFA World Cup opened across the United States, Canada and Mexico, with co-host Mexico facing South Africa in the tournament's curtain-raiser. Organizers deployed extensive stadium surveillance, including face-recognition cameras and drone monitoring, while anti-drone countermeasures operated around several venues. Ticket prices hit record highs at U.S. sites and visa disputes left at least one referee and some spectators denied entry to host countries. Those surveillance measures combined with steep costs and cross-border entry issues raise privacy and civil liberties concerns and could change how people travel to and attend matches.