A World Cup Not Everyone Can Attend....
Over the past few weeks, President Trump’s latest political decisions have raised growing concerns about how safe this World Cup will really be...
Happy new week,
Seeing what’s been happening across parts of the United States lately has made me start to question. Is the US really in the right place to be hosting the world’s biggest sporting event in just a few months, while dealing with political uncertainty, tighter borders, and increasingly aggressive immigration enforcement.
For some fans, this answer is pretty clear. Over 17,000 supporters have cancelled their tickets and there are now growing calls for national boycotts. Not out of protest alone, but out of concern. Concern for personal safety. Concern for families. Concern about whether football’s biggest celebration can truly be accessed by everyone it claims to represent.
The FIFA World Cup is built on the idea of openness. Fans travelling across borders, cultures mixing in host cities, and football acting as a shared language. But recent political developments in the United States are placing a heavy cloud over the 2026 tournament.
Since returning to office in January 2025, Donald Trump has expanded a series of travel restrictions affecting multiple countries. These range from full bans to partial bans and immigrant visa suspensions. While there are exemptions for athletes and a narrow group of travellers attending major sporting events, the uncertainty alone is enough to deter many fans.
FIFA itself has acknowledged this reality. In a recent statement, FIFA warned that a match ticket does not guarantee entry into a host country and urged fans to check individual government requirements for the United States, Canada, and Mexico well in advance. The introduction of a FIFA Priority Appointment Scheduling System may help some, but it does little to address the wider sense of unease.
For supporters of nations such as Iran and Haiti, the situation feels especially painful. For others, including fans of Senegal, Ivory Coast, Brazil, Colombia, Egypt, Ghana, Morocco, Tunisia, and Uruguay, recent policy changes have thrown long made plans into doubt. Even where travel visas are technically still possible, the risk of detention, denial, or scrutiny at borders is enough to make anyone think twice.
This fear is not just about fans. It extends to athletes, staff, and delegations from countries that sit uncomfortably within current US foreign policy. Footballers may be allowed to play, but the ecosystem around them, families, media, supporters, does not move with the same protections.
People were already worried about the safety of the World Cup, but those concerns have intensified following the seizure of Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro by US forces during a raid in Caracas. Regardless of political views, the move raised serious questions around international law and national sovereignty. With more talk of military action and territorial expansion continues, that unease is only growing.
Against this backdrop, it is hard to ignore the symbolism of FIFA awarding the US president a so called Peace Prize at the World Cup draw ceremony, praising his role in reducing global conflict. The contrast between that moment and subsequent actions has not gone unnoticed.
In the UK, a cross party group of MPs from Labour, the Liberal Democrats, the Green Party, and Plaid Cymru have since called on FIFA to consider suspending the United States from hosting duties until it can demonstrate compliance with international law. Their argument is not about footballing merit, but whether major sporting events should be used to legitimise or normalise actions that undermine global norms.
So the question remains. Can football and politics really be kept separate anymore? As human rights issues and safety concerns continue to surface, it is becoming harder to ignore that the game does not exist in isolation. A World Cup does not pause what is happening in the world around it, and fans should not be expected to set aside fear or uncertainty simply because football is being played.
There is still hope that things move in a better direction. That the World Cup can live up to its global promise while pushing towards a safer and more peaceful world. Football is built on camaraderie, acceptance, and shared experience across borders, and if politics continues to shape the game, perhaps the values of the game should be shaping politics too.