The 2026 FIFA World Cup concluded Monday after Spain claimed the title, capping an unprecedented 39-day tournament across the United States, Canada and Mexico. Expanded from 32 to 48 nations across 104 matches, the event raked in record revenue. FIFA generated $430 million in revenue from broadcast rights alone — up from $340 million during the 2022 Qatar tournament — while total revenue reached an estimated $13 billion. The commercial windfall funded a $727 million total payout to participating teams alongside a first-ever, star-studded halftime show featuring headliners BTS, Madonna, Shakira and Justin Bieber. Yet beneath the $13 billion spectacle, co-host Mexico actively worked to push vulnerable residents out of view. In Monterrey, the government of Nuevo León erected a gray wall stretching several kilometers through the Guadalupe Victoria neighborhood, running directly along the main route connecting the airport to the World Cup stadium. The barrier hid brick homes with rusting tin roofs from visiting spectators, forcing workers to take lengthy detours on their daily commutes