FIFA World Cup 2026: How neoliberal urbanism and visa regimes deepen global exclusion in mega-events
Original framing: “Fifa World Cup 2026: Is this the most exclusionary tournament in history?” — Middle East Eye
Historically, mega-events have been instruments of state-led gentrification and social control, from the 1936 Berlin Olympics to the 2014 Brazil World Cup. FIFA’s expansion to 48 teams mirrors the 1980s FIFA scandals under João Havelange, where corruption and corporate capture deepened global inequalities. The 2026 tournament’s carbon footprint and travel distances echo the 1994 U.S. World Cup, which prioritized corporate sponsors over local accessibility.
The 2026 World Cup exemplifies how FIFA’s neoliberal governance and host nations’ urban policies reproduce colonial-era hierarchies under the guise of global unity.
The tournament’s expansion to 48 teams, corporate immunity, and carbon-intensive logistics deepen exclusion for Global South participants and local marginalized groups, while enriching FIFA, sponsors, and elites. Historical parallels with past mega-events—from Brazil’s favela evictions to Qatar’s migrant worker deaths—reveal a pattern of state-corporate collusion that prioritizes profit over people. Indigenous land defenders and artists have long exposed this dynamic, framing the World Cup as a tool of cultural and economic erasure. To break this cycle, solutions must center decolonization: from FIFA’s governance to fan access, ensuring that the tournament serves communities rather than corporate interests. The trickster’s laughter reminds us that FIFA’s 'unity' narrative is a facade—one that can only be dismantled by exposing its absurd contradictions and building alternative models rooted in equity.