Iran Holds Send-Off Ceremony for National Team Before 2026 World Cup

Iran held a send-off ceremony Wednesday for its national football team ahead of the 2026 World Cup. Huge crowds gathered in Tehran’s Revolution Square waving flags and cheering as the team prepared to depart for the tournament co-hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada. The celebration reflected national pride in Iran’s qualification for the expanded 48-team competition.

FIFA is projected to earn $13 billion from the tournament through tickets, broadcasting rights, sponsorships and other revenue streams. Host cities and states across the United States, Canada and Mexico are responsible for stadium upgrades, security, transportation and fan zones with little or no direct share of that income.

New Jersey announced plans to charge World Cup attendees $150 for a round-trip train ticket from Midtown Manhattan to MetLife Stadium, which usually costs $13 and will host eight matches including the final. The fare was later reduced to $105 after corporate donors contributed.

New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill defended the original pricing, stating the agreement with FIFA will cost NJ TRANSIT at least $48 million while FIFA stands to make $11 billion during the World Cup.

She added that the state would not subsidize ticket holders on the backs of daily commuters. >FIFA was quite surprised by the NJ governor’s approach on fan transportation. — FIFA statement (The Atlantic) After tournaments in Russia and Qatar, the 2026 edition has required negotiations with democratic governments and local authorities across three countries.

Some host cities including Houston, Dallas and Kansas City have received state sports grants that eased funding pressures. Toronto expects to spend $380 million Canadian dollars and Vancouver $624 million Canadian dollars.

New Jersey has spent more than $300 million according to local reporting. FIFA’s requirements have reduced available parking at venues by creating large security cordons for VIP areas and sponsor activations. MetLife Stadium will offer no general parking.

Remaining parking fees, which range from $100 in Atlanta to $175 in Boston, go to FIFA. Transit agencies have absorbed additional costs. Boston’s MBTA spent tens of millions rebuilding a station near Gillette Stadium after losing 75 percent of parking to the security perimeter and plans to charge $80 per fan for train service.

NJ Transit will restrict regular commuters from using Penn Station during game windows. Local host committees were formed to raise corporate sponsorships for transportation and fan events but faced strict FIFA rules limiting partnerships with companies that compete with official sponsors. Many committees have fallen short of fundraising targets and relied on public funds.

Fan zones, intended as free public viewing areas for at least 15,000 people per site, have been scaled back in several cities. New York allocated $20 million in public money to ensure its borough fan zones remain free to enter. Some cities including Los Angeles have introduced admission fees for certain events.

The U.S. men’s national team enters the tournament with expectations of advancing deep into the competition, a marked change from decades of limited international success. The team failed to qualify for the 2018 World Cup but has shown steady improvement since.

Professional sports economists note that projected economic benefits from visitor spending often fail to materialize due to substitution effects, in which World Cup tourists displace regular visitors who would have spent money on other activities. Host committees have also faced restrictions on scheduling other major events at stadiums and even on cultural programming in host cities during the tournament window.

Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara will remain unavailable for a BTS concert in May so it can be prepared for World Cup matches beginning in June.