A stark historical pattern is repeating itself, placing the upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup in the company of some of the tournament's most morally compromised editions. The competition, to be hosted jointly by the United States, Canada, and Mexico, is now inextricably linked to the aggressive and controversial foreign policy of the United States under President Donald Trump.
A History of World Cups Serving Authoritarian Aims
The precedent is both clear and troubling. In 1934, Benito Mussolini's fascist Italy used the World Cup as a propaganda tool, with the dictator personally overseeing the event and even replacing the official trophy. This occurred despite Mussolini's already evident expansionist ambitions, which soon led to the invasions of Ethiopia and Albania.
Similarly, in 1978, Argentina's military junta under General Jorge Rafaél Videla staged the tournament while actively engaged in a brutal campaign of state-sponsored torture and murder against political dissidents. FIFA President João Havelange infamously praised the regime at the opening ceremony, accepting a medal from Videla.
More recently, Vladimir Putin's Russia hosted the 2018 World Cup four years after annexing Crimea and fuelling conflict in eastern Ukraine, actions which FIFA opted to overlook.
The 2026 Edition: Defined by US Interventionism
The geopolitical context for the 2026 tournament crystallised dramatically last week with the US-led abduction of Venezuela's sitting president, followed by President Trump's declaration that the socialist nation was now effectively American territory. This bold act of interventionism is not an isolated incident.
The current US administration, despite initial isolationist rhetoric, has pursued a path of global disruption. Its record includes wavering support for Ukraine against Russian aggression, threatening invasions of Mexico and annexation of Canada and Greenland, initiating widespread trade wars, and authorising lethal force against suspected drug traffickers at sea.
This foreign policy, characterised by a doctrine of doing whatever it pleases, provides the definitive backdrop for the 2026 World Cup, which will be overwhelmingly dominated by US stadiums and infrastructure.
FIFA's Complicity and the New Normal
FIFA, under President Gianni Infantino, has shown no hesitation in aligning with this reality. Infantino has cultivated a notably close relationship with Donald Trump, with accolades and awards flowing from the football body to the US leader. This mirrors the symbiotic relationship between Havelange and Videla, though with the honours reversed.
The 2026 event fits a modern pattern for FIFA's flagship tournament. It follows the 2022 Qatar World Cup, awarded through corruption and built on human rights abuses, and precedes the 2034 edition already gifted to Saudi Arabia's Mohammed bin Salman. The notion of 'sportswashing' is no longer an outlier; it has become the tournament's standard operating procedure.
Football has followed Formula One and the Olympic Games in making peace with the sordid baggage of the highest bidders and most powerful political patrons. The beautiful game is now a convenient vehicle for the ambitions of dangerously self-interested states and leaders.
While fan boycotts are often discussed, the widespread acceptance of the Qatar tournament suggests little will change. The individuals governing FIFA and these nations appear largely immune to shame.
When the definitive history of the World Cup's moral decline is written, the 2026 edition will be highlighted as a pivotal moment. It will be remembered as the tournament hosted in Canada and Mexico—and, problematically, embarrassingly, and irredeemably, in these United States under Donald Trump.
