The US tournament organising committee has published its post-World Cup visitor experience report, in which every documented incident involving a participating nation has been categorised as an amenity.
Under Nature and Wildlife, the report lists the Swiss delegation’s training camp, which was surrounded by snakes, and a separate snake encountered by a German player during a session. Both are described as “unstructured encounters with native fauna” and rated four stars.
Under Geological Experiences, the England camp appears twice: once for the 6.1 magnitude earthquake, the strongest in the region since 1880, and once for the tornado shelter advisory issued days later. The report notes that England “received two distinct natural phenomena at no additional cost.”
Under Urban Character, the report lists the shooting nine hundred metres from the England base camp, the burglary of the England staff vehicle, the highway shooting near Kansas City, and the fan zone shooting in San Jose. The entries are brief. The category is described as “immersive.”
Under Facilities, Sweden’s training in a stadium under active demolition is presented as “behind-the-scenes access to American infrastructure renewal.” Japan, which changed training ground twice, is credited with “a flexible, multi-site programme.” Belgium’s pitch at Loyola Marymount is listed as “rustic.”
Under Climate, the report celebrates stadium seat temperatures approaching 70°C as “a full-body encounter with the American summer,” and describes the two-hour weather suspension of one match as “an extended intermission.”
Under Refreshment, water at $6 and beer at $19 are described as “premium.” The initial confiscation of spectators’ own water bottles is listed under “arrival rituals.”
Under Broadcasting Integration, the report notes with pride that one match was delayed at the referee’s instruction because the American broadcaster had not finished its commercial break, calling this “frictionless coordination between sport and commerce.”
The final section, Arrivals, is the longest. It covers the Iraqi player interrogated for seven hours before joining his squad, the Iraqi photographer detained twelve hours and removed despite valid accreditation, the Palestinian federation president refused entry while FIFA-accredited, the Congolese star who watched his country play from a bar because he could not enter, and the Iranian delegation’s formal complaint about unequal conditions. Each is filed as “extended pre-entry engagement.”
The report closes with a case study on the Somali referee, appointed by FIFA, interrogated for eleven hours, denied entry, sent home, and subsequently paid his full tournament salary. He is recorded as the only participant to have completed a fully compensated visit to the United States without entering it.