1) How can I sound really clued up about the World Cup in WhatsApp groups and during pre-meeting small talk this week?
a) By asking the tickets question: How many seats will be left unfilled?
It’s the million-dollar question – and seemingly impossible to predict in a world of ticket resale and dynamic pricing. But if the stadiums in use for the tournament aren’t full, it will be a source of highly visible reputational damage to Fifa, who have long trumpeted this tournament but may well have significantly overplayed their hand on pricing.
b) By asking the weather question: What impact will the heat – and any lightning – have?
How the hottest World Cup yet will impact the quality of the spectacle, especially at the end of long club seasons for players, remains to be seen, but it may be strict lightning protocols that cause more direct disruption to a tightly-packed 48-team, 104-game show.
c) By asking the adverts question: Are drinks breaks a glimpse at the future of football broadcasting?
How will commercial broadcasters around the world approach the new in-game hydration breaks introduced for this tournament? It’s not yet clear which of them will opt to run in-game adverts. Perhaps more likely, for the likes of Fox and ITV, is an opportunity for in-game, in-house promo of upcoming games and programming, and to innovate in other areas with flash interviews and quick-hit analysis. If nothing else, it’s a chance to get a cup of tea away.
d) By asking the Iran question: How do you square being at war with a World Cup host?
Several Iranian team officials and journalists have been denied entry to the US, the team itself will fly in and out of the US to participate in games, before immediately returning to a hastily-convened Mexican training base. Iran’s presence in the tournament is likely to be a major theme of the opening days.
e) By asking the Trump question: Will Gianni Infantino’s relationship-building pay off?
News in the last couple of days that a Somali referee selected to officiate during the tournament has been denied entry to the US – and Fifa’s statement saying, essentially, it can’t do anything about it if that’s what the US authorities insist on – does raise the question of whether the Fifa President’s concerted efforts to get – and keep – Donald Trump onside have had any impact at all. The World Cup coincides with America’s 250th anniversary celebrations, Trump’s White House UFC show and next week’s G7 Summit in France, as well as the war in Iran. Any or all of those could further deepen the politicisation of the tournament; if required, has Infantino created the dynamics for the type of frank conversations that might be needed in the Oval Office?
f) By asking the marketing question: Which brands, cities and agencies will win the day (and the algorithm)?
It’s been likened by agencies to “hosting a few dozen Super Bowls over a few months”: the scale and size of the World Cup is like little else. Adidas, and its clever activation with WhatsApp, might be an early contender on the brand side. ITV’s World Cup titles, produced by Noah Media Group, are a masterpiece. As for the cities, the 16 hosts are approaching how they activate and what they organise in a variety of ways, a perhaps unforeseen result of Fifa attempting to centralise overall organisation of the tournament. Our new podcast series with Ten Toes, Scroll Stoppers, is a handy resource for any brand or rights holder looking to create sparkling and impactful digital World Cup content.
g) By asking the co-hosts question: Can the World Cup have a meaningful, long-lasting impact on Mexico and Canada?
The US has overshadowed their co-hosts to the north and south. Deloitte’s projections are that the tournament could add $2.73 billion to the Mexican economy (from 13 games hosted in three cities) and in Vancouver, one of two Canadian host cities alongside Toronto for a total of 13 games, the suggestions are around $1 billion could be added to British Columbia’s GDP. As always, though, the World Cup acts as a giant magnifying glass on all aspects of the hosts – and, as the current protests in Mexico City demonstrate, an opportunity to shine a spotlight on issues such as the estimated 130,000 ‘disappeared’ people in the country.
h) By asking the Netflix question: Will Gary Lineker or the new Fifa game make the biggest dent?
Netflix has placed its hopes of being a destination during the World Cup on Gary Lineker’s Rest is Football podcast, which is currently setting up shop in New York for daily broadcasts at the start of what will inevitably be dubbed the ‘podcast World Cup’, and on the new Delphi Interactive-developed, Fifa-sanctioned, ‘beginner-friendly’ game, which launches on Thursday and will, apparently, feature prominently on all our Netflix home screens.
2) What about the future World Cup hosts?
In amongst the eye-catching reports that Saudi Arabia is preparing to spend up to $16 billion to cancel elements of the Neom megacity project, it’s understandable why the national approach to sport continues to be under the microscope. Given its global prestige, the 2034 World Cup is very unlikely to be impacted and plans designed to spur greater investment in domestic football are moving apace. Saudi Pro League teams Al Riyadh and Al Fateh, newly-promoted Abha, plus second tier club Al-Tai and third tier Al-Shoulla are the latest to be offered up to private investors by Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Sport, as part of the broader push for more private-sector involvement across the Kingdom. It follows what the Ministry described as more than 80 expressions of interest across the 22 clubs that have so far been opened up to outside investment.
3) Are you making an economic impact?
In general, I think it’s healthy to be relatively sceptical about economic impact studies – trying to decipher what’s measured, how it’s measured and why it should count can be a tricky and sometimes fruitless business - but the headline number from London’s City Hall, that women’s sports events generated £54.7 million for the capital’s economy in 2025, feels like one worth shouting about (and including in all manner of women’s sport commercial decks for the next 12 months). That period included a Women’s Rugby World Cup final and the return of a WTA tournament to Queen’s Club, but it bodes well for the potential impact of the ICC T20 Women’s World Cup in England and Wales, which begins on Friday and will culminate with the semi-finals and final in London, and for a future events slate that includes the women’s Tour de France next year and potentially the Fifa Women’s World Cup final in 2035.
