President Trump’s immigration policies and public comments may have jeopardized the American-led bid to host the 2026 World Cup, ESPN reported this week, citing multiple FIFA and continental confederations officials.
The article suggests a few additional factors may be at play here. Far more plausible is the theory that certain officials are still sore about the U.S. Justice Department’s role in uncovering rampant World Cup corruption, but it mostly explores the entirely ludicrous notion that the American president — who won’t be in office in 2026 — is the real source of problem.
“[T]he North American bid has had to counter an anti-American sentiment that stems largely from actions taken by President Donald Trump’s administration … Those actions include a travel ban affecting mostly Arab countries, public comments that perpetuate stereotypes and the reported use of profanity in describing poorer countries,” ESPN reported.
The article adds, “When North American bid officials visit with federation officials in a foreign country, they rarely get questions about stadiums or hotels, according to sources; rather, they have been quizzed about whether the United States can be considered a friendly place for foreigners.”
This would explain why those heading the North American bid have been careful to stress that their contingent includes both Canada and Mexico. It’s not just the U.S.
Summing up the general message of the Trump/FIFA theory, Sports Illustrated senior writer Grant Wahl tweeted, “If other countries choose not to vote for the U.S. to co-host World Cup ‘26 because its leader is a symbol of intolerance, then that makes perfect sense.”
Oh, please. Be extremely skeptical of the suggestion that this has anything to do with tolerance or inclusivity. The World Cup is absurdly corrupt. The DOJ just uncovered all of that, and that’s what this is all about. Hosting duties generally go to the country that’s willing to bribe the right officials. These hints that there’s a problem with the North American bid essentially amount to winking and nodding by FIFA officials who want to get paid. It smells more like a shakedown than any sort earnest concern about whether the American president is sufficiently open-minded.
Secondly, if this really is about tolerance and openness, these soccer officials certainly picked a funny time to start caring. In 1934, when fascist Benito Mussolini reigned supreme, Italy hosted the World Cup. Fast-forward to 2018 and the World Cup is being hosted in authoritarian Russia, that haven of freedom and liberty, which not only suppresses all political opposition through force but also wages aggressive war against its neighbors.
And that’s not all. Qatar, where public flogging and stoning are both legal and frequently practices, is hosting the World Cup in 2022. The stadiums are even being built by slave labor! But by all means, let’s talk about how soccer officials are supposedly worried about the American president’s inclusivity.
