Sales for the FIFA Club World Cup, a series of precursor games ahead of next year’s North American World Cup, were already lackluster when, last week, U.S. Customs and Border Protection bragged online about how its agents would be “suited and booted and ready to provide security for the first round of games.

The Club World Cup has been beset by organisational challenges ahead of the first edition of the revamped 32-team tournament in the U.S.

Running through July 13 in 12 U.S. cities, the tournament doubles as a high-stakes dress rehearsal for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.