Back in 2018, Donald Trump watched the United States win the right to host the World Cup and said out loud, “I won’t be here,” pointing to term limits that would likely take him out of office by 2026. He is back in the White House now, and as the biggest sporting event on the planet begins this week, he once again finds himself closely tied to the tournament in ways that extend beyond sport.
CNN’s Stephen Collinson notes that Trump’s return to power has added a political edge to what was intended to be a global sporting celebration. The tournament, jointly hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico, features 48 teams and 104 matches across 16 venues, running from June 12 in Mexico City through July 19, and was designed to be football-focused rather than politically charged.
Relations with FIFA have helped shape that tone early. In December, FIFA president Gianni Infantino presented Trump with the newly created FIFA Peace Prize at a ceremony in Washington.
Reporting from multiple outlets, including CNN, has highlighted how the moment further tied Trump to the tournament’s build-up, even as questions grew about how separate sport and politics could remain.
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Much of the buildup has since been overshadowed by immigration-related disputes. A respected Somali referee was denied entry into the United States, while the Senegalese team reportedly faced intense security checks on arrival. Iran later announced that its ticket allocation for three group games on US soil had been cancelled entirely, after previously boycotting the World Cup draw when the United States refused visas for members of its football federation delegation.
Security concerns have also intensified around the event.
Reports suggested that ICE officers could conduct sweeps targeting undocumented migrants at matches involving South American teams, while senior figures in global soccer warned that fears over safety and political instability were fueling calls for fans and even teams to boycott the tournament. The atmosphere surrounding the competition has therefore extended well beyond stadiums and training camps.
Trump has contributed to that uncertainty with his own comments about how the tournament will be managed. He has threatened to move World Cup matches away from Democratic-run cities if he deems conditions unsafe, a stance that has already drawn criticism from local officials and sports stakeholders.
Ticket pricing has also become a point of discussion in the buildup to the event.
When asked about seats costing as much as $1,000 for the opening Team USA match, Trump told the New York Post, “I would certainly like to be there, but I wouldn’t pay it either, to be honest with you.” The comment stood out given the commercial scale of the event, where premium pricing has already sparked criticism among fans and analysts.
Despite all of this, football history suggests attention eventually returns to the pitch. FIFA president Gianni Infantino has previously pointed to Qatar as an example, noting that despite heavy controversy before kickoff, “when the ball started rolling, and the magic started, we had virtually no incidents.”
Featured image via Political Tribune Gallery
