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The scenarios of looming problems before the start of the World Cup were almost as big as the expanded tournament itself.
Which people would US authorities allow into the country? Would the weather cooperate? And to what extent would US President Donald Trump involve himself in the tournament?
An overview of the biggest World Cup concerns and what ultimately became of them.
Weather problems
The feared weather problems with severe storms and extreme heat largely failed to materialise. Nevertheless, the group-stage match between France and Iraq had to be suspended for around two hours due to a thunderstorm. The round of 32 match between Mexico and Ecuador and England’s round of 16 match both kicked off late. But at last year's Club World Cup in the United States, six matches had still been interrupted because of severe weather.
High temperatures and humidity nevertheless remained a burden for players and fans. Temperatures of up to 40 degrees Celsius are forecast for Sunday's final between Spain and Argentina in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Residents of New York have been urged to wear masks as smoke from wildfires in Canada and Minnesota is drifting over the metropolis.
Donald Trump
There was widespread concern that Donald Trump might use the World Cup for his political agenda. After all, the US president had repeatedly declared the tournament to be one of his personal prestige projects. So far he has however largely kept a low profile, causing a stir only once: after a red card shown to American player Folarin Balogun he successfully lobbied FIFA President Gianni Infantino for a review of the suspension. The president will once again be in the spotlight at the final where he is set to present the trophy and may turn the award ceremony into his major World Cup appearance.
Security
The war in the Middle East, unrest in Mexico, and the US government shutdown had raised significant security concerns ahead of the tournament. While the matches in Canada and the United States proceeded largely without incident, several incidents occurred in Mexico: fans stormed an already overcrowded fan festival in Guadalajara, a car drove into a celebrating crowd, and several people died during victory celebrations in Mexico City.
The role of the controversial US immigration agency ICE also sparked debate before the World Cup. Its director, Todd Lyons, had spoken of a "key role" in the security concept. ICE has long faced criticism over its tough approach to detaining migrants. However, the extent of its actual deployment during the World Cup remained unclear. No major incidents involving fans have been reported so far.
There were however incidents, with US immigration denying designated World Cup referee Omar Artan of Somalia entry and the Iran team complaining about visa restrictions around their group games in the US.
Empty stadiums
Concerns about empty stadiums, especially in the United States, where football is not the number one sport, proved unfounded. Even before the quarter-finals, according to FIFA, more than 6.25 million spectators had attended matches across all three host nations. That was more than ever before at a World Cup but that is not entirely surprising: for the first time, 48 teams took part, with 104 matches instead of 64.
According to FIFA, 99.7 percent of all available seats were occupied, even though many empty seats were visible especially during the group stage. Before the quarter-finals, official figures showed an average attendance of around 65,000 fans per match. That is below the 68,991 average from the 1994 tournament in the US, and the record can't be reached even if the match for third place and the final are sold out.
Sky-high prices
Fans knew the World Cup would be expensive at the latest when buying tickets, booking hotels, or travelling to the stadium. However, prices inside the arenas caused additional frustration. In the United States, visitors sometimes had to dig deep into their pockets: up to €20 ($23) for a beer, more than €17 for French fries, or around €7 for a bottle of water.
Food and drinks were also significantly more expensive than usual in Mexico. At Azteca Stadium, a beer cost the equivalent of around €15.50 — almost as much as the country's legal daily minimum wage.
Decline in quality
Many critics warned that the tournament's expansion from 32 to 48 teams would lead to significant differences in quality and one-sided matches. Although only Cape Verde reached the knockout stage as a true underdog, the four debutants — the others being Jordan, Curaçao and Uzbekistan — and other outsiders performed strongly, so there was little sign of any noticeable decline in the quality of play.
Cape Verde held Spain to a 0-0 draw and was only eliminated by defending champion Argentina after extra time in the round of 32. The Democratic Republic of the Congo earned a 1-1 draw against Portugal, Paraguay stunned Germany, and Curaçao celebrated a historic first World Cup point against Ecuador.
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Which people would US authorities allow into the country? Would the weather cooperate? And to what extent would US President Donald Trump involve himself in the tournament?
An overview of the biggest World Cup concerns and what ultimately became of them.
Weather problems
The feared weather problems with severe storms and extreme heat largely failed to materialise. Nevertheless, the group-stage match between France and Iraq had to be suspended for around two hours due to a thunderstorm. The round of 32 match between Mexico and Ecuador and England’s round of 16 match both kicked off late. But at last year's Club World Cup in the United States, six matches had still been interrupted because of severe weather.
High temperatures and humidity nevertheless remained a burden for players and fans. Temperatures of up to 40 degrees Celsius are forecast for Sunday's final between Spain and Argentina in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Residents of New York have been urged to wear masks as smoke from wildfires in Canada and Minnesota is drifting over the metropolis.
Donald Trump
There was widespread concern that Donald Trump might use the World Cup for his political agenda. After all, the US president had repeatedly declared the tournament to be one of his personal prestige projects. So far he has however largely kept a low profile, causing a stir only once: after a red card shown to American player Folarin Balogun he successfully lobbied FIFA President Gianni Infantino for a review of the suspension. The president will once again be in the spotlight at the final where he is set to present the trophy and may turn the award ceremony into his major World Cup appearance.
Security
The war in the Middle East, unrest in Mexico, and the US government shutdown had raised significant security concerns ahead of the tournament. While the matches in Canada and the United States proceeded largely without incident, several incidents occurred in Mexico: fans stormed an already overcrowded fan festival in Guadalajara, a car drove into a celebrating crowd, and several people died during victory celebrations in Mexico City.
The role of the controversial US immigration agency ICE also sparked debate before the World Cup. Its director, Todd Lyons, had spoken of a "key role" in the security concept. ICE has long faced criticism over its tough approach to detaining migrants. However, the extent of its actual deployment during the World Cup remained unclear. No major incidents involving fans have been reported so far.
There were however incidents, with US immigration denying designated World Cup referee Omar Artan of Somalia entry and the Iran team complaining about visa restrictions around their group games in the US.
Empty stadiums
Concerns about empty stadiums, especially in the United States, where football is not the number one sport, proved unfounded. Even before the quarter-finals, according to FIFA, more than 6.25 million spectators had attended matches across all three host nations. That was more than ever before at a World Cup but that is not entirely surprising: for the first time, 48 teams took part, with 104 matches instead of 64.
According to FIFA, 99.7 percent of all available seats were occupied, even though many empty seats were visible especially during the group stage. Before the quarter-finals, official figures showed an average attendance of around 65,000 fans per match. That is below the 68,991 average from the 1994 tournament in the US, and the record can't be reached even if the match for third place and the final are sold out.
Sky-high prices
Fans knew the World Cup would be expensive at the latest when buying tickets, booking hotels, or travelling to the stadium. However, prices inside the arenas caused additional frustration. In the United States, visitors sometimes had to dig deep into their pockets: up to €20 ($23) for a beer, more than €17 for French fries, or around €7 for a bottle of water.
Food and drinks were also significantly more expensive than usual in Mexico. At Azteca Stadium, a beer cost the equivalent of around €15.50 — almost as much as the country's legal daily minimum wage.
Decline in quality
Many critics warned that the tournament's expansion from 32 to 48 teams would lead to significant differences in quality and one-sided matches. Although only Cape Verde reached the knockout stage as a true underdog, the four debutants — the others being Jordan, Curaçao and Uzbekistan — and other outsiders performed strongly, so there was little sign of any noticeable decline in the quality of play.
Cape Verde held Spain to a 0-0 draw and was only eliminated by defending champion Argentina after extra time in the round of 32. The Democratic Republic of the Congo earned a 1-1 draw against Portugal, Paraguay stunned Germany, and Curaçao celebrated a historic first World Cup point against Ecuador.
Continue reading...
