The FIFA World Cup is supposed to be football’s grand crescendo, the event that stops nations in their tracks and dominates conversations months before the opening match. Yet as the 2026 tournament is in the middle of its first week, there iss a noticeable lack of anticipation in many parts of the football world.
That does not mean people will not watch. They will. The World Cup remains the biggest sporting event on the planet. But the excitement feels muted compared to previous editions. For many fans, the tournament still feels distant, almost like an obligation on the calendar rather than a celebration they cannot wait to embrace.
Part of the problem is timing.
Football supporters have just emerged from increasingly gruelling domestic seasons. Europe’s top leagues seem longer and more demanding than ever. The expansion of continental competitions has added more fixtures. Players are exhausted. Fans are exhausted. The modern football calendar barely offers a moment to breathe.
For supporters who spend nine months emotionally invested in their clubs, there is often a need for a reset. The World Cup used to feel like a rare interruption to the routine. Now it arrives after a relentless conveyor belt of league matches, cup competitions, European nights, international breaks, and summer tournaments. Many fans simply need a break from football before they can summon enthusiasm for another month of high-stakes matches.
Then there is the issue of geography and time zones.
The 2026 World Cup is being staged across the United States, Canada and Mexico, creating logistical challenges for supporters around the globe. For viewers in Europe, many of the most attractive matches will kick off late at night or in the early hours of the morning. Watching football at midnight is manageable for a few games. Doing it repeatedly over several weeks is another matter.
Time zones may seem like a secondary concern, but they matter enormously when it comes to building anticipation. Tournaments are at their most exciting when fans can gather in pubs, public squares and living rooms at convenient hours. The prospect of setting alarms for 2 a.m. group-stage matches is hardly a recipe for widespread excitement.
The expanded format has not helped either. FIFA has increased the tournament to 48 teams, a move that may generate additional revenue and create more participation, but one that many fans remain unconvinced by. Bigger is not always better. Part of the World Cup’s appeal was its exclusivity. The fear is that a larger tournament risks diluting the quality and intensity that made the competition special in the first place.
And that brings us to FIFA itself.
The governing body increasingly feels disconnected from the sentiments of ordinary supporters. Under the leadership of Gianni Infantino, FIFA has pursued a strategy of relentless expansion: more teams, more matches, more competitions and, inevitably, more commercial opportunities.
Many fans see these decisions as being driven less by the interests of football and more by the pursuit of revenue and influence. The World Cup, once marketed as football’s ultimate sporting occasion, increasingly feels like a vehicle for corporate growth.
Infantino’s public positioning has also become a source of irritation for many supporters. His repeated efforts to cultivate close relationships with powerful political figures have attracted criticism, particularly his visible warmth towards Donald Trump. With the United States serving as the central host nation for 2026, some fans view FIFA’s relationship with Trump as emblematic of an organisation that is more comfortable courting power than engaging with the concerns of its own supporters.
Of course, history suggests that much of this scepticism may disappear once the tournament gets into the knockout phases. A great match can transform public sentiment overnight. The World Cup has a habit of reminding people why they fell in love with football in the first place.
But the relative lack of excitement surrounding 2026 should serve as a warning. Football’s biggest event cannot rely indefinitely on tradition and nostalgia. Fans are tired. The calendar is overcrowded. Time zones are unfriendly. FIFA’s reputation is under strain.
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