From Francisco Sosa’s front yard, you can see the imposing metal structure of the SoFi stadium in Los Angeles, California. Eight FIFA World Cup matches will be played on that pitch, but its proximity is irrelevant as far as Sosa is concerned; he is already resigned to watching the games of the most expensive tournament in history on TV. “There’s no money right now,” says the 41-year-old U.S. citizen who is a fervent supporter of the Mexican national team. When he learned that a luxury box for the match between the United States and Paraguay was selling for $112,500, his reaction was immediate: “Fuck! It’s too much.”

Seguir leyendo

It’s difficult to find an area that hasn’t been affected by climate change, which, among other things, is behind the increased frequency and intensity of heat waves worldwide. Sport is no exception, and competitions like the Winter Olympics and major cycling tours have been — or will be — seriously affected by global warming. The most-watched sporting event on the planet, the FIFA Men’s World Cup, being held in North America and starting in less than a month, will also be impacted by this crisis.

Seguir leyendo

WASHINGTON, May 14 — California Attorney General Rob Bonta has asked Fifa to provide information about reports of potentially misleading ticketing practices linked to the 2026 World Cup, reported Xinhua.

“We’re sending a letter to Fifa requesting information to assess possible violations of California law,” Bonta said in a post on X on Wednesday. According to media reports, some tickets were sold based on seating categories shown on stadium maps that were later changed before specific seats were assigned.

Some fans subsequently received seats in lower categories than they had expected.

“Some consumers have reported feeling deceived because the seats they were ultimately assigned belonged to a lower-tiered category based on the seating map available to them at the time of purchase,” Bonta wrote in the letter, which was also published on his office’s website.

Bonta called for “transparency and fairness when purchasing tickets for any event held in our state”.

Fifa said in April, after a report by The New York Times, that the seating category maps shown during ticket sales were intended only as a guide to where seats could be located inside stadiums.

Bonta’s office said California law provides strong protections for consumers and prohibits marketing practices likely to mislead buyers. 

The attorney general is seeking details on ticket sales for World Cup matches in California, including how seating categories were presented, whether final seat assignments differed from those representations and how complaints were handled through refunds or other measures.

Fifa has also faced criticism over high ticket prices and its use of dynamic pricing, under which prices fluctuate based on demand. — Bernama-dpa

The World Cup could be a boon for major beer companies. The tournament—hosted by the United States, Mexico, and Canada—will result in an additional 1 billion pints of beer consumed worldwide. That’s 568 million liters more than projected in this year’s forecasts, which would equate to a 0.3% increase in total beer sales for the year.

Seguir leyendo

No matter how athletic you are — active or just a couch potato — the Olympic Games are one of those once-in-a-lifetime events. So, the residents of Los Angeles were thrilled when, in late 2025, they learned they would have priority access to a ticket sale for their third Games, the 2028 Summer Olympics. Registration began in early January, after zip code verification. They had to wait until the end of March, when the purchase period would open. Well, the wait is over. And so is the hope.

Seguir leyendo