The 2026 FIFA World Cup is less than a year away, but it’s already turning into a tale of two tournaments with politics and immigration policy leading a laundry list of concerns that need to be addressed before kickoff. 

The last time the United States hosted the World Cup was in 1994. More than 3.5 million fans travelled to the U.S. to watch, leading to a spike in domestic interest and the launch of Major League Soccer two years later. While the sport still lags behind football, basketball, and baseball in the U.S., its popularity has grown.