Three countries host the 2026 World Cup for the first time, but the United States' political and economic influence makes its participation as a host a concerning choice.
FIFA's slogan, “Football Unites the World,” seeks to bring everyone together as one, fostering peace, inclusivity and unity.
However, American actions contradict these intentions, particularly with travel bans affecting countries participating in the World Cup, such as Iran. Sport Business Journal reported the U.S. State Department denied visa requests for Iranian officials attending the draw in Washington, D.C.
This decision shows the U.S. is not as welcoming, highlighting how politics can interfere with global sports events like the World Cup. If officials from a participating country are not allowed to attend an official event, then neither are fans or players, and it's clear that the U.S. prioritizes politics over sportsmanship.
The spirit of the World Cup is betrayed when a host nation decides who is welcome into the country based on political tensions. Indeed, Human Rights Watch urged FIFA to take steps to safeguard the human rights of those who attend the World Cup matches in the U.S. when it begins in June.
Rights organizations fear that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) will show up at World Cup games.
“Despite FIFA’s mantra that ‘football unites the world,’ a World Cup held under discriminatory and exclusionary policies risks deepening social divides rather than bridging them," said Andrea Florence, executive director of the Sport and Rights Alliance, a global coalition of leading rights organizations. "FIFA should exert its leverage and demand concrete, legally binding guarantees that human rights won’t be further sacrificed for the sake of the game.”
While the United States continues to have ongoing problems, its co-hosts, Canada and Mexico, offer a different example of FIFA’s meaning.
According to Statistics Canada's 2021 Census of Population, immigrants make up 23 per cent of Canada’s population. This type of data demonstrates that the country's growing diversity and welcoming immigration policies align with FIFA’s message of inclusion.
Canada’s multicultural identity and its peaceful, stable political environment and reputation for safety, according to the 2024 Global Peace Index, make it a symbol of unity for the tournament.
The sense of diversity extends into Canada’s national team. Many players representing the country come from immigrant backgrounds. From Alphonso Davies, who was born in a refugee camp in Ghana to Liberian parents before moving to Canada, to Jonathan David, whose parents emigrated from Haiti, it reflects the idea of inclusion that reflects FIFA’s message, as well as the team's representation of the country’s mixed cultural identity.
Mexico has a passionate fan base with a deep culture within soccer. It became the first nation to host three World Cups, showing the unification of the sport beyond politics and economics.
The World Cup is meant to bring nations together and not allow political interference. The planning for these host cities is political. How then can FIFA claim the tournament is truly about unity?
The U.S. is the wealthiest of the three hosts, with a GDP of about US$29.2 trillion in 2024. However, high ticket prices and travel expenses in the country may limit international fans from travelling. Out of the 16 host cities for the tournament, all but five are in the U.S., making it more of an American-led event than an equally shared World Cup.
As a result, the U.S. receives most of the tourism and financial benefits, hosting 78 matches, while Canada and Mexico each have 13.
The 2025 Club World Cup, which was also hosted in the United States, featured many high-profile matchups, but many also saw large numbers of empty seats in stadiums, with ticket prices being low. The group stage average attendance was about 34,759, which filled up about 57 per cent of stadium capacity according to a Sports Business Journal report. The attendance rate would partially increase in the later rounds as some world’s biggest clubs were still in the competition.
As one of the three hosts, the United States seems more focused on profit and its image than on creating an inclusive experience for fans worldwide. The World Cup should represent celebration, connection, accessibility and not involve political tension and economic barriers that exclude people from the tournament.
FIFA’s promises of unity face issues as the 2026 World Cup approaches. The U.S. has the resources to host the tournament, but with political tensions, travel bans, safety concerns at venues, and the high ticket price, the slogan “Football Unites the World” may not hold to its word.
