FIFA is facing an investigation into allegations it misled supporters over tickets for upcoming games in Houston and Dallas.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is looking into claims FIFA misguided supporters regarding the location and quality of seats sold to them.
Sections of fans allege premium seats at certain games costing over $10,000, have been replaced with tickets offering less desirable views than advertised.
The investigation focuses on reports that consumers purchased 'Category 1' seats expecting premium views of the pitch, only to have FIFA adjust stadium seat maps after these had been bought.
Those seats are then alleged to have been moved into sections originally designated as 'Category 2' instead.
Houston will host games involving Portugal and Cristiano Ronaldo, while the likes of England and Lionel Messi's Argentina will play in Dallas.
Paxton said: "I will work to ensure that FIFA is engaging in ethical and honest business practices so that Texas fans are treated fairly.
"Sports have a unique power to bring people together, and FIFA must understand that Texans take their competition - and their consumer rights - seriously."
But the investigation is expected to fall on deaf ears, with FIFA president Gianni Infantino insisting his organisation remains relaxed about potential legal investigations into ticket sales.
The England team faces yet more World Cup weather chaos after the area of their training base was put on a 'Tornado alert'.
The 2.2 million residents of the Kansas City Metropolitan area were warned of a possible tornado on Wednesday into the early hours of today.
More worryingly for England, a thunderstorm is forecast for Saturday, the day they are due to fly into Kansas and take part in their first training session at the Swope Park training facility on the outskirts of the city.
England fans faced freak weather and a torrential downpour in Florida before the team's convincing 3-0 victory over Costa Rica in their final warm up game last night.
They could do without any further disruption to their schedule after the kick off of their game in Orlando was delayed for an hour due to the storms. Major buildings in Kansas City, including the city's international airport, are prepared to protect the population with 'Tornado evacuation rooms'.
Experts say the extreme conditions have been made worse by the impact of global warming and the 'El Nino effect. Tuchel's squad is due to arrive in Kansas City on Saturday for four days of training and preparation before the opening match against Croatia on June 17 in Dallas.
Kansas City has recently experienced heavy rainfall. When a tornado watch is in place tornadoes are possible in and near the watch area, according to the National Weather Service.
The National Weather Service suggests that people in the warning area review and discuss their emergency plans, check supplies and have a safe room in case the weather takes a turn for the worse.
When a tornado warning is issued it means a tornado has been sighted or indicated by weather radar and there is "imminent danger to life and property." The advice to residents includes moving to an interior room on the lowest floor of a sturdy building, and avoiding windows.
World Cup organisers are bracing themselves for a tropical storm disrupting Houston's opening game of the tournament this weekend.
And it means the clash between Germany and minnows Curacao in the Houston Stadium could be delayed come kick off.
Local meteorologists have predicted there is up to a 70 per cent chance of thunder and lightening ahead of the Group E showdown on Sunday.
Up to three inches of rainfall could hit Houston, with almost double this amount affecting isolated areas at the start of next week as well.
The stadium does have a retractable roof, but organisers are more concerned with the possible disruption caused to those planning to travel to the game.
The weather is expected to cause massive disruption throughout the United States during the finals.
England's friendly with Costa Rica earlier this week was delayed, due to severe rain in Florida.
And Houston could well be one of the worst affected host cities, due to its geographical location on the Gulf Coast, which is renowned for unpredictable summer weather.
Houston officials have spent months preparing for a combination of intense summer heat and tropical storms.
Strict lightening protocols will be implemented at the downtown Fan Festival, in a bid to safeguard all those supporters flooding into the Texas city.
Visitors intending to attend outdoor facilities have been warned to be prepared for sudden weather shifts.
Local meteorologist Jeff Lindner said: "The first issue is obviously going to be the heat.
"We know that some of the folks that are planning to come are coming from areas that aren't accustomed to the high heat and humidity that we have here in our summer months.
"And if there's lightning within eight, 12 or 15 miles of that location, there's different steps that are going to be taken to make sure people are protected through that duration of the fan festival."
During the tournament, organisers and the emergency services will activate a 'Unified Area Command' and 'Multiagency Co-ordination Centre' alongside a 'Joint Information Centre' - to track conditions around the clock.
Germany's players will pay for 600 of the country's fans to travel by bus to their final World Cup group game following fierce criticism of high transport costs at the tournament.
Train tickets, normally priced at $12.90 (£9.50) from central New York to the nearby Met Life stadium in New Jersey, where Germany will play Ecuador in the last Group E match on 25 June, were ramped up to $150 for the tournament before being reduced to $98.
Shuttle bus fares, initially priced at $80 to make a similar journey, have been dropped to $20. England fans face the same journey for our r group game against Panama on June 27.
The New Jersey governor has said the inflated prices are because Fifa has refused to subsidise transport expenditure. Many England fans
will be using buses and sharing travel costs.
"In light of the high cost of bus and train travel in New York during the World Cup, the German national team players have organised free transport to the final group match for 600 fans," said the German FA.
"Captain Joshua Kimmich and his team-mates are covering the cost of buses to take supporters from New York to the arena in New Jersey for the match against Ecuador."
At the World Cups in Russia and Qatar there was free transport available for fans to use to get to games and fan zones.
In a tweak to the agreement, made in 2023, it was decided that supporters would be charged to travel at cost value
The US had committed to offer the same perk in its 2018 host agreement. In venues like Kansas City, costs have been kept to a minimum. Airport shuttle buses are running free and bus tickets to the stadium are $15 (£11.23) for a return trip.
The 2026 World Cup is underway, previously lauded by Fifa's President Gianni Infantino as "simply the greatest event that humanity, that mankind, has ever seen and will ever see".
Certainly, it is set to be one of the most extravagant World Cups, with a record-breaking 48 teams taking part and, for the first time in the tournament's nearly 100-year history, matches jointly hosted by three countries - Mexico, Canada and the United States.
But before a single ball has been kicked, the competition has also earned some other, less favourable, titles - as the most politicised, expensive and contentious World Cup to date.The Mirror takes take a closer look at some of the major issues surrounding the 2026 World Cup.
After watching England's 3-0 final victory over Costa Rica in the Three Lions' final preparation game before the World Cup, the Mirror's chief football writer John Cross said:
Hello, it's John Cross in Orlando where it's finished England three, Costa Rica nil. And I have to say, that was probably as good a preparation, I think, as England could have hoped for, really. Declan Rice on target. Anthony Gordon slamming one in. Ollie Watkins completing the win.
And the travelling England fans, fantastic again, absolutely magnificent, chanting "It's coming home" by the end.
Do they believe they're absolutely going to win the World Cup? Well, they can dream. They can probably take a bit of a boost from this performance actually, because it felt a long way further down the road from their win over New Zealand last weekend.
Watch the rest of his post-match analysis below:
The Mirror reviews England's friendly against Costa Rica before the World Cup kicks off
After completing a 'gruelling' walk from New York to the World Cup final stadium, Mirror US reporter Mateo Smith writes:
The more than five-hour walk from Manhattan to MetLife Stadium in New Jersey tested my resolve and even my courage as I walked along busy highways in the blazing sun.
To those international travelers planning to casually stroll into New Jersey to watch their favorite team compete in World Cup 2026: get ready. There are numerous obstacles to overcome.
I understand the desire to avoid a costly $98 round-trip ticket on NJ transit, the super overpriced parking pass that'll let you leave your car near MetLife for more than $200, and sitting in a hot cheese bus — although that round-trip has been reduced from $80 to $20 — but this journey is no joke, and I don't believe children will be up to the challenge.
An eye-watering price hike on the NJ Transit saw tickets jump during the tournament from their usual price of $13 — and this sparked online chatter about 'simply' walking to the event.
Read more: 'I walked to MetLife Stadium from New York City and this is how long it took me'
Declan Rice is expected to be a key player for England at the World Cup - but the midfielder has already had a stern telling off from his mum for looking suburnt in a photoshoot.
England’s players all had their photos done for the official World Cup pictures - and Rice admits he was "bright red" after catching the Florida sun.
When asked how he knew he had done too much in the heat this week, Rice laughed: "When the sun burn comes! I think everyone has seen those photos, I was bright red in that photo shoot. My mum was killing me!
"Honestly, the first day we came, it was just getting used to that heat. Coming from England where it’s hot-cold, all different types of weather, coming here and it’s always 30 degrees - it really does hit you in the face.
"After that week off, the first session was as bit cobweb-y but the next two days after that felt really good and tonight, playing 60, was all I was ever going to play but I was in a really good space, I could probably have played longer so I’m really happy."
Read more: England star Declan Rice lands himself in hot water before World Cup even begins
The 2026 FIFA World Cup is finally here, and there have been some major changes to this year’s coverage. Ahead of the tournament in Canada, Mexico and the USA, Sky has announced a way for football fans to watch each game shown on BBC and ITV with enhanced coverage at no extra cost.
As many households now stream live TV over an internet connection, there can be a delay to the broadcast compared to traditional terrestrial channels. This can be frustrating when watching football, as goals are spoiled by mobile notifications or cheering from the house next door.
To combat this, Sky has launched new ‘Real Time’ channels, which reduce the lag between the live action and what’s on screen. It’s touted as Sky’s ‘lowest latency streaming experience’ and allows viewers to see what’s happening almost instantly and avoid spoilers.
Read more: Sky makes major changes to BBC and ITV World Cup coverage for certain viewers
England and Scotland fans flocking to Magaluf to watch World Cup games have been warned TVs on terraces will be muted after midnight.
Fans were given the bad news bars catering for the thousands of football supporters expected to head to the party resort for the tournament can only stay open beyond their normal opening times under strict conditions. Unrestricted special opening hours were today ruled out by council chiefs for the area.
And they appeared to single out Three Lions supporters and fans of the Tartan Army by saying the rules, signed off in a municipal decree by the mayor of Calvia of which Magaluf is part, only apply to England, Scotland, Germany and Spain matches during the early stages of the World Cup.
Read more: England and Scotland fans in Magaluf to watch the World Cup dealt crushing blow with rule changes
The Mirror visited England's World Cup HQ yesterday - and found Americans ready to cheer the team to glory.
Thomas Tuchel's side were getting ready to take on Costa Rica before Mexico kick off the biggest tournament in history tomorrow.
In the Prairie Village, just outside the city, they already have the flags out for the team.
The 26-man squad and backroom staff will be based at the Inn at Meadowbrook in the village.
The Football Association has taken over the 54-room, £260-a-night property, which is set in its own beautiful grounds and parkland. Joggers and young mums were out and about as usual yesterday while a swarm of armed police manned checkpoints.Read more: Inside England's US base gripped by World Cup fever as tournament kicks off
Americans excited by England arrival at Kansas base
Today's opening game will begin a competition that has already seen a fair bit of controversy, with a top referee, Omar Artan, having been turned back from the US after travelling to work there earlier this week.
Artan received a hero's welcome when arriving back home via Mogadishu, but the decision has left fans, officials and former players distressed before the World Cup has even begun. Fifa boss Gianni Infantino tried to quell outrage last night in a news conference, but only ruffled more feathers when he called for people to "chill, relax".
He said: "It is unfortunate what happened to Omar. But we don't control everything. We try, we discuss and we will speak.
"Maybe sometimes it is good as well to just chill and relax. We work on everything and try to solve everything. Sometimes, to start screaming and shouting has the opposite effect of finding a solution.
"Believe me when I tell you, don't believe me if you want, we always try to find solutions. We are not the kings of the world who can rule over governments and police forces; we are a sports organisation".
Thomas Tuchel, the German manager of England taking the reins from Gareth Southgate for this year's competition, said he had not decided on his starting 11 for the team's first game when asked following the warm-up yesterday.
Speaking to ITV, he said: "No. I will find now 11 for tomorrow's game [against Miami FC, behind closed doors] and then I have another six days, I think.
"First of all we do a match tomorrow, another friendly match to get some minutes into the legs of the players who didn't play so much today.
"And then the players get 1½ days off, switch off, switch off physically but also mentally. And then we change location, go to Kansas, and we'll prepare for Croatia."
