Six billion to watch World Cup

Gianni Infantino, the head of the world governing body for football FIFA, said yesterday that next month’s World Cup will be witnessed by a six billions followers worldwide while as many as 6.5 million will be present at venues to witness the matches which start on June 12 and the final scheduled for July 19 in New York.
The United States of America, Mexico and Canada will host the matches.
“We are ready to open the doors. Six billion people will watch it (World Cup) from their homes”, Infantino said.
The World Cup will be the biggest to date with as many as 48 countries competing in the first round matches with Argentina moving in as the defending champions and France as runners-up in Qatar in 2022.
Spain and France are widely considered the primary favorites to win the 2026 FIFA World Cup, with England, Brazil, and defending champions Argentina also among the top contenders. Spain enters with high praise as European champions, while France boasts intense depth led by Kylian Mbappé.
The Trump administration will exempt football fans from 50 countries subject to a $15,000 (£11,000) visa deposit requirement, provided they are travelling to the US for the World Cup with valid match tickets.
Five of these countries - Algeria, Cape Verde, Ivory Coast, Senegal, and Tunisia - have qualified for the tournament.
“We are waiving visa bonds for qualified fans who bought World Cup tickets,” Assistant Secretary of State for Consular Affairs Mora Namdar said in a statement to the BBC.
The bond requirement, introduced last year, was intended to reduce visa overstays, according to a notice published by the state department.
Players and coaches for the tournament were already exempt from the bond requirement, but ordinary fans with confirmed tickets for the World Cup had not been included until Wednesday.
According to the state department, it was intended to curb visa overstays or cases “where screening and vetting information is considered deficient”. The bond would be refunded at the end of the visitor’s stay.
A group of world-leading scientists have warned Fifa its current heat safety measures for the men’s 2026 World Cup are “inadequate” and could put players at risk of serious harm.
In an open letter, external, international experts in health, climate and sports performance say the governing body’s guidelines are out of step with the current science and “impossible to justify”. They call on Fifa to introduce stronger protections, including longer cooling breaks and clearer protocols for delaying or postponing games in extreme conditions.
Heat is expected to be an issue at this summer’s tournament in the United States, Canada and Mexico, with researchers warning temperatures at 14 of the 16 stadiums being used could exceed dangerous levels. (BBC sport)