New Manhattan Institute Report Assesses the Infrastructure Supporting the 2026 FIFA World Cup

The largest tournament in FIFA history is placing extraordinary demands on immigration, transportation, security, and lodging networks.

NEW YORK, NY – As the 2026 FIFA World Cup unfolds across 11 U.S. host cities, a new Manhattan Institute report argues that the tournament’s biggest tests lie beyond the stadium gates. In the report, Cities policy analyst Santiago Vidal Calvo examines how immigration, transportation, security, and lodging systems will need to perform under the pressure of millions of visitors.

While the tournament is proceeding as planned, Vidal argues that the broader measure of success depends on whether the systems surrounding the event can function together reliably. The World Cup, Vidal Calvo writes, is as much a test of infrastructure and coordination as it is a sporting spectacle.

Among the report’s key findings: 

• Immigration remains a major constraint. Long and uneven visa wait times may limit access for many fans from key soccer markets abroad. 

• Transportation challenges center on reliability. Flight delays, heavy travel demand, and dependence on air travel and local transit create vulnerabilities that can ripple across tightly scheduled match days. 

• Security concerns extend beyond terrorism. Crowd management, cyber disruptions, localized crime, and coordination failures pose more immediate operational challenges. 

• Lodging shortages and price spikes threaten affordability. Short-term rental restrictions and unusable hotel supply may limit surge capacity in several host cities. 

Vidal Calvo concludes that the U.S. was always likely to host the event successfully in a narrow sense, but delivering a World Cup that feels seamless depends on how well interconnected systems perform under stress. 

Click here to read the full report.