Introduction to the 2026 World Cup
A year after the World Cup in the USA, Canada, and Mexico, the host Los Angeles is in connection with the deportation of Mexicans and other minorities. In the meantime, a constantly changing trade war threatens the relationship between the three hosts, and a travel ban will probably prevent some fans from being present.
Uncertainty and Security Concerns
While the moods of US President Donald Trump make predictions dangerous, fans, players, and national teams have to make plans for one of the greatest events in sport, one in Trump’s first term when relationships between the three countries were much more harmonious. The persistent protests are an immediate security concern for the World Cup in the USA. The European champion Paris Saint-Germain meets on the opening day of the tournament on June 15.
Travel Ban and Its Implications
Trump’s travel ban, which came into force on Monday, banned the citizens of Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen from entry to the USA. An exception for "an athlete or member of a sports team, including coaches, people who play a necessary support role, and direct relatives, travel for the World Cup, the Olympic Games or another great sporting event, as stated by the State Secretary", was not traveled to fans. Iran has already qualified for the World Cup, but at the moment fans could not be able to support them in the United States.
Trump’s Perspective on Sports
The same applies to the citizens of Mexico and Canada. According to Andrew Zimbalist, the emeritus professor in economics at Smith College in the US state of Massachusetts and author of "Circus Maximus: The economic gambling behind the host of the Olympic Games and the World Cup" is likely that he has burned his own reputation. "Mr. Trump has shown the willingness to make exceptions when there is pressure. And I think that Trump is taking care of. He is a sports fan. He takes care of his international image. He takes care of the attention that this will come to him if both the World Club Championship in 2025 and the real world championship in 2026 are a photo chance for Trump at Bask.
Tensions Between Host Countries
The WM-Cohosts Canada and Mexico were the first countries together with China to get out of the developing tariff war that started shortly after Trump’s taking office. Zimbalist does not predict that the discomfort at the state level will have a significant impact on the tournament, and argues that there will be enough fans who are ready to travel for games that cannot be discouraged from it. He also believes that the relatively new leaders in Mexico – Claudia Sheinbaum, which was elected in October 2024 and Canada – will not allow Mark Carney, who was elected in March, that their countries will be marginalized.
Challenges for Mexican Fans
For Mexican fans in particular, it is in the United States to travel across the border to the World Cup in the United States, or indeed Club World Championship games. "I’m not afraid to go to the United States, but it feels a bit like going to another house where they are not welcome," said Alan, a Pachuca fan. Other Pachuca fans complained that significant visa processing delays, about two years, would not have been able to travel, even without the current security concerns to support their team.
Canada and Mexico’s Response to Trump
While Canadians are not quite as central to the current events in LA, the northern neighbors of the USA were at the Trump administration in Loggerheads. The American national anthem, "The Star Spangled Banner", has been booed at ice hockey games in Canada in the past few months, and Carney’s surprise elections were partially attributed to his willingness to take over and his plan to make Canada the 51st state. "After you have met with the owners of Canada in the course of the campaign in the past few months, it is not for sale. You will never be for sale," said Carney to Trump when the couple met in a meeting in May, which was otherwise relatively warm despite clear tensions.
Conclusion and Future Prospects
For those who hope to plan a visit or participation in the World Cup to assess the political mood – and the effects of changes in it – have become as important as waiting for the results of the qualification. The Club World Championship, which begins on Saturday and is organized exclusively by the USA, is perceived by some as a test for elements of the country’s willingness to organize the 2026 World Championship. However, any development or deterioration in relationships between the three cohosts will be of crucial importance for the success of the tournament next year.
