FIFA World Cup 2026: Trump's Personal Showcase for Glory

KATHMANDU. US President Donald Trump is using the FIFA World Cup, being co-hosted by Mexico and Canada, as his personal propaganda tool. And FIFA also seems to be supporting this. The political aspects associated with the World Cup, which begins on June 11, Thursday, threaten to overshadow the sports competition itself. This tournament, which will run until July 19 in the United States, Canada, and Mexico, is the largest World Cup in the history of national teams. Donald Trump is using this edition as a means to enhance his own glory. He has the active support of FIFA President Gianni Infantino in this. As the head of the world football governing body, Infantino presented Trump with a 'Peace Award' in 2025. It was seen as a kind of consolation prize after he did not receive the Nobel Peace Prize a few weeks ago. This incongruous act could have ended there, but Infantino continued to praise Trump. In the process, he has also weakened the role of the organization he leads. The latest example of this was seen on June 6. Somali referee Omar Abdulqadir Artan, who was preparing to officiate matches in the World Cup, was denied entry into the United States despite having a valid visa. So far, the US administration has claimed that the decision was based on his 'connections with alleged members of terrorist organizations'. However, FIFA has not protested this decision. 'What happened to the Somali referee is unfortunate. But again, not everything is under our control,' Infantino said only this much at a press conference held in Mexico City on Wednesday evening. It is worth remembering that Trump has been showing hostile behavior towards Somalia and its citizens for months. At the beginning of 2026, when US immigration officials (ICE) were deployed in Minneapolis, the Somali community was specifically targeted. Eight of its members were accused of defrauding COVID-19 relief funds. FIFA has also remained silent on visa bans imposed on citizens of some countries, journalists, and others. FIFA has not reacted to the incident of the Uzbekistan national team facing strict checks before a practice match or the Iraqi striker Aymen Hussein, who was interrogated for hours upon arriving on US soil. Similarly, FIFA seems to have forgotten the fact that the 2026 World Cup is being co-hosted by Mexico and Canada. Despite Trump issuing various threats to both these countries, FIFA has not said anything about it either. Instead, the organization has allowed the US President to be presented as the sole host, due to which Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney have been overshadowed. FIFA has never shown courage. The World Cup was hosted in Argentina in 1978 under a military dictatorship. The World Cup was held in Russia in 2018, a country that violates human rights and occupied Crimea four years earlier. The World Cup was also held in Qatar in 2022, a country criticized for criminalizing homosexuality and discriminatory treatment of women. However, the problems of the 2026 World Cup are not just political. The tournament has added 16 extra teams, 40 extra matches, and 10 extra days. FIFA expects to earn approximately 11 billion US dollars (9.4 billion Euros) from this. This profit-centered massive expansion will have many consequences. First, compared to previous editions, the matches in the group stage of this World Cup being held in the US have shown less spectator interest. More importantly, such an expansion of the tournament will also come at an environmental cost. In 2026, everything is amplified, including pollution. Various non-governmental organizations have warned that its carbon emissions will be nearly double that of the 2022 Qatar World Cup and the environmental impact could be devastating. With this excessively expanded World Cup, FIFA is entering a new and ominous era of sports, the era of 'Trumpism' in sports. Le Monde wrote in its editorial on June 11: