With 100 days to go until the tournament kicks off, appetite for tickets to the ​2026 World Cup in the United States (US), Mexico and Canada is reaching fever pitch, despite eye-watering prices that have fans crying foul amid global unrest ‌following the US attack on Iran.

In addition to the US-Israeli strikes against Iran, a country scheduled to play its World Cup group stage games in the US the heavy-handed crackdowns by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement personnel and the violence that erupted near host city Guadalajara after the death of Mexico’s most-wanted cartel leader are causing concern for fans.

“I’m afraid I might not be allowed into the ​country, I’ve decided to fly to Canada at most, but not to the USA,” German soccer fan Tom Roeder told Reuters.

“I hope that at least the ​issue of war with Iran does not reach North America. At least not in a way that affects us personally.”

FIFA, which ⁠did not immediately respond to a request for comment, has said nearly two million tickets were sold in the first two sales phases, with demand so intense that World ​Cup tickets were oversubscribed over 30 times.

Political and social tensions surrounding host nations are nothing new for the World Cup.

Mexico President Claudia Sheinbaum said there was “no risk” ​to fans coming to the country and Adrian Nunez Corte, leader of Unipes, a fans’ association in Spain, said it has not affected willingness to buy tickets.

“Obviously, it is causing concern, but some Spanish fans living in the area have helped to calm things down after the initial hours of alarm,” Corte said.

“There is no alarm regarding US immigration policy but people are taking preparation of ​the necessary visas seriously to avoid problems, especially since some fans will be travelling between the US and Mexico due to the match schedule.”

—Reuters—