In a year’s time, the eyes of the world will turn to North America as it hosts the 2026 World Cup. FIFA has branded the tournament as a celebration of togetherness, an occasion that will “bring people together” according to FIFA President Gianni Infantino. Yet as the United States, Canada, and Mexico prepare to stage the biggest sporting event in history, Donald Trump’s return to the US presidency casts a shadow over this supposed showcase of global unity.
Since Trump’s return to the Oval Office, the Trump administration’s aggressive trade policies with the USA’s World Cup co-hosts, Canada, coupled with his inflammatory rhetoric on immigration, border security, and even the annexation of Canada as the USA’s 51st state, have supercharged geopolitical tensions in North America to an unprecedented level.
Tensions with co-hosts
The diplomatic rift between the USA and Canada has become glaring. Newly elected Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has warned that his country’s long-standing partnership with its southern neighbour is over. Meanwhile, singing of the Star-Spangled Banner has been met with boos at Canadian sporting events, symbolising growing hostility. This could be echoed by supporters of other nations as anti-American sentiment continues to spread around the globe as a result of tariffs and Trump’s troubling oratory. Not a good look for the host of a tournament promoting worldwide unity.
Trump’s antagonism of Mexico is nothing new. Since he announced his first presidential bid, Trump has launched a series of diatribes at Mexican immigrants. US troops are massing on the Mexican border, with military intervention against Mexican drug cartels looming as a genuine threat. Such an escalation would surely shatter any remaining political ties between the two countries.
The threats Trump poses
If unaddressed, this collapse of diplomatic cooperation could be catastrophic for a World Cup spanning these borders. With Trump’s nationalist sentiments fuelling mistrust between the countries, the World Cup is at risk of becoming a logistical nightmare. The coordination of travel for fans across the three nations will be almost impossible under the President’s strict border security measures, and his restrictive visa policies will deter many international visitors, with wait times for some visas extending for over a year.
We’ve already seen on countless occasions how Trumpian nationalism can stoke the fires of xenophobia and hatred in America. With 6.5 million potential foreign attendees as well as many high-profile players from around the world heading to the World Cup, they bring with them a heightened chance of incidents of hostility, discrimination, and even violence.
Such risks to fan and even player safety go beyond logistical issues and the embarrassment of Trump’s policies, contravening FIFA’s celebration of international solidarity. They beg the question whether the USA should host such a global event while Trump is President.
Human rights
In response to concerns, particularly those around US immigration policies, Human Rights Watch (HRW) recently wrote to FIFA, calling on them to reconsider the USA as a co-host for the tournament unless FIFA can guarantee the “policy changes needed to ensure respect for the rights of players, fans, and others”.
According to HRW, Trump has either proposed or already enacted policies that would “fundamentally undermine the inclusive spirit of the World Cup”. Travel bans on people from certain countries, transphobic visa practices that require athletes and tourists to disclose their sex at birth, and unlawful detention and deportation of legal US residents were all cited as human rights abuses that would make the USA unfit to stage football’s greatest tournament.
The last two editions of the World Cup, in Russia and Qatar, were rightly pilloried for the systemic human rights violations of the host nations’ regimes. The 2026 edition was intended to raise the bar, a commitment that, as HRW puts it, is at serious risk.
Double standards in coverage
Coverage of the upcoming World Cup, compared to the media framing of those in Russia and Qatar, highlights an entrenched double standard in analysis.
We know that FIFA will turn a blind eye to the controversies of World Cup hosts and cozy up with despotic autocrats for financial gain as it has in the past. But the level of scrutiny these regimes correctly faced from the Western press when hosting the World Cup, regarding their treatment of LGBTQ+ individuals or political dissidents, for example, greatly outweighed the criticism the US has faced. Yet the Trump administration similarly targets the transgender community and cracks down on free speech, with the arrest of students and academics who oppose his ideologies.
This points to the rank hypocrisy of the Western media, which should aim to hold power to account regardless of international allegiances. Given FIFA’s complicity and unwillingness to act, calling Trump’s America out may be the only avenue for meaningful change before the tournament kicks off next summer.
World Cup in the crossfire
Trump recently convened the first meeting of the US 2026 World Cup taskforce, which he boasted will “plan the biggest, safest, and most extraordinary soccer tournament in history” generating “tens of billions of dollars for local businesses” and “thousands of jobs for American workers”.
He also denied that recent tensions with Canada and Mexico will jeopardise the tournament, asserting these issues had been addressed with Mark Carney during the Canadian Prime Minister’s visit to the White House earlier that day. But a single performative meeting cannot fix the deep-seated issues between the host nations, especially considering Trump’s propensity for erratic policy shifts.
If the promise of a unified World Cup is to be preserved, it will take continued commitment from all parties to repair the relationships Trump has severed. That includes from the man himself, who is yet to show continued commitment to anything besides his own personal ascent.
The 2026 World Cup was meant to be a triumph of international collaboration, a celebration of sport’s power to unite. But with Trump’s shadow hanging over it, the tournament risks becoming a stage for nationalist hostilities and political posturing. The world’s most beloved game deserves better than being caught in the crossfire of more geopolitical conflict.
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