Forty-eight national teams, 104 matches played in 16 cities and total stadium attendance of more than 6.8 million. The FIFA World Cup 2026™ was the largest World Cup in history, as well as an unprecedented logistical and organisational undertaking. Held across the United States, Canada and Mexico, the tournament put the management of transport, security, technology and the fan experience to the test. It was also accompanied by controversy over ticket prices, extreme temperatures, immigration policy and the costs borne by host cities.
Photo by Krzysztof Dubiel on Unsplash
For fans, the World Cup is primarily about matches, goals and excitement. For organisers, however, each day of the tournament meant coordinating the work of thousands of people, the movement of teams and fans, stadium operations, transport, security systems, technical infrastructure, the media, commercial partners and public services. According to FIFA, World Cup operations covered 645 official locations across three countries. Nearly 300,000 accredited people were involved in organising the event, including more than 43,000 volunteers and 73,700 accredited security personnel. Security operations alone involved more than one million staff shifts. The tournament lasted 39 days, with national teams using 48 training bases spread across the continent.
For a fan, the World Cup begins with the first whistle. For an event manager, it begins many months, and often years, earlier. Hundreds of processes need to be designed and synchronised, most of them invisible to spectators. If transport works, entry to the stadium is smooth, information is clear and attendees feel safe, nobody thinks about how much work it took to make that happen. Yet a problem in any one of these areas immediately affects how the entire event is judged,” says Karol Tatar, Head of the Sports Management postgraduate programme at Kozminski University and local CIES coordinator in Poland.
A stadium is not a building but an operating system
During an event of this scale, a stadium is more than a place where a match is played. It functions like a small city that must welcome, serve and safely see tens of thousands of people out within a matter of hours. This involves managing traffic around the venue, access control, security, medical assistance, catering, sales, communication with fans and the preparation of spaces for teams, the media, partners and guests. One of the most challenging periods is the time immediately before kick-off. Thousands of people are simultaneously trying to reach the venue, pass through security checks and find their seats. Transport delays, a ticketing system failure or insufficient gate capacity can quickly lead to queues, tension and safety risks. Ensuring a smooth exit after the match is equally important, as large numbers of attendees head towards public transport stops, car parks and passenger pick-up areas at the same time.
A modern stadium cannot be managed as a collection of separate departments. Security affects logistics, transport determines whether fans enter on time, technology shapes communication, and the way spectators are served influences the image of the entire event. A venue manager must understand these interdependencies and make decisions under immense time pressure. Preparing a good plan is not enough. You also need to know how to adapt it when reality no longer matches your original assumptions. Managing a stadium is like conducting an orchestra, and extensive preparation is essential to ensure that everyone knows the necessary processes and procedures. Every element has to work in perfect harmony,” stresses Tomasz Świerczewski, FIFA Venue Director.
Weather is changing the way events are organised
High temperatures and severe weather were among the World Cup’s most serious challenges. Concerns extended beyond the players’ physical condition to the safety of fans waiting outside stadiums, moving between transport hubs and spending many hours in open spaces. FIFA introduced three-minute hydration breaks in every match, regardless of the temperature or conditions inside the stadium. This was one of the most visible examples of adapting tournament rules to climatic conditions. Off the pitch, organisers had to plan for access to water, shaded areas, medical stations and messages warning people of potential hazards.
Climate change means that procedures for responding to heat, storms and other extreme weather events are no longer merely contingency measures. They are becoming a permanent part of planning large-scale events, just like venue security and transport arrangements.
Weather conditions affect almost every aspect of organising an event: scheduling, team operations, medical provision, access to water, queues, transport and communication with attendees. Preparing procedures for players is not enough. You also have to think about fans, volunteers, security personnel and everyone spending many hours around the venue,” notes Karol Tatar.
Safety and security begin before the stadium gates
The World Cup was accompanied by extensive debate about the safety and security of fans and participants. An event of this size requires protection not only for stadiums, but also for fan zones, team bases, media centres, airports, transport hubs and public spaces. That responsibility now extends to cybersecurity. Digital tickets, access control systems, surveillance, attendee apps and real-time communication make event operations more efficient, but also increase organisers’ reliance on IT infrastructure. During the World Cup, accreditation systems recorded more than five million scans across tournament locations. Any failure, network overload or attempted cyberattack could therefore affect the operation of an entire venue. Technology, however, is no substitute for good organisation. A system can detect growing traffic volumes or flag a problem at one of the gates, but the operations team must interpret the information correctly, make a decision and coordinate the work of multiple services.
Fans judge the whole experience
The controversies surrounding the World Cup extended beyond events on the pitch. Ticket prices and travel costs, visa procedures and US immigration policy all sparked debate. Questions also arose about the availability of public transport and how costs were shared between FIFA, host cities and local institutions. From an organiser’s perspective, these issues are integral to the event. Fans judge the entire experience, from buying a ticket and planning their journey to reaching the venue, going through security checks, spending time in the stadium and returning to their hotel or home. Even a very well-run match cannot make up for hours spent waiting for transport, unclear information or a sense of being unsafe.
Organisers often focus on what happens inside the stadium. Yet an attendee’s experience begins much earlier. It includes buying a ticket, travelling, getting around the city and finding the right gate. It ends only when the fan has safely left the venue and returned to their accommodation. Each of these stages affects the reputation of the event, the city and the organiser,” says Karol Tatar.
The experience of the FIFA World Cup 2026™ shows that the success of a major sporting event should not be judged solely by attendance, revenue or the quality of the spectacle. Accessibility for different audiences, safety and security, the impact on host-city residents, the efficient use of infrastructure and the legacy left to local communities after the tournament are becoming increasingly important.
