The United States, host to 78 of the 2026 World Cup's matches across 11 cities, is nearing the end of its tournament with just the third-place play-off in Miami and the final in East Rutherford, New Jersey, still to play. As the country prepares for the 2030 centennial edition to be shared across six nations and three continents, this piece assesses how the US performed in its second stint as men's World Cup host, awarding grades across stadiums, transport, affordability and hospitality.

Stadiums earned a B+, with large NFL venues praised for their atmosphere despite congested concourses, while transport scored a D+ owing to the country's car-centric infrastructure and inconsistent public transit provisions. Affordability received an F, with Fifa itself acknowledging it exploited the tournament for unprecedented profit through ticket and ancillary pricing that made it unaffordable for much of the world, a precedent then followed by transport, food, merchandise and parking operators. Hospitality was rated an A for the warmth of volunteers and fans, though this was undercut by Trump administration travel restrictions that barred some players, staff and fans from banned nations, prompting comparisons with the more accessible 1994 US World Cup.