The 2024 Copa América in the United States, meant to be a World Cup warm-up, ended in chaos. The tournament faced issues with heat, empty seats, and disorder, ultimately collapsing into a player-fan brawl in the semifinals. This raised concerns about the country's readiness for the 2026 World Cup. The lack of an outer security perimeter and transportation challenges were highlighted during the tournament. However, the World Cup organizers are better prepared and have learned valuable lessons from the Copa América. Despite high ticket prices, the Copa América showed high levels of interest and festive energy. Concerns about the heat and grass pitches have been acknowledged, with plans to address them for the 2026 World Cup. While the Copa América was a disaster, the World Cup is expected to be better organized and more successful.