FIFA likely breathed a sigh of relief when the 2022 Qatar World Cup ended. That tournament was riddled with controversies, ranging from exploited workers, human rights abuses, and protests against repressive religious laws. But World Cup 2026 was set to be in the safe hands of Canada, Mexico, and the United States – what could possibly go wrong?
Well, Canada and Mexico remain reliable partners, but the same can’t be said about the United States. Yesterday, Donald Trump convened the first meeting of his administration’s 2026 World Cup task force and, along with JD Vance, strongly indicated they’re not rolling out the red carpet for international visitors.
At the FIFA Meeting, Vance joked about deporting World Cup visitors pic.twitter.com/SLxRJR8RaF
— Olga Nesterova (@onestpress) May 6, 2025
Vance appears fixated on the possibility of millions of international soccer fans arriving in the United States for the tournament and refusing to leave. After insisting that he’s very cool with World Cup tourists, he quickly struck a darker note and said, “when the time is up, they’ll have to go home. Otherwise, they’ll have to talk to Secretary Noem.”
Ah, nothing like thinly veiled threats of deportation to drum up enthusiasm for the World Cup! All this comes against the backdrop of America’s collapsing tourism economy, largely driven by entirely justified fears about what’ll happen if border security decides they don’t like the look of you.
This has already seen British and Canadian tourists shackled and tossed into ICE detention centers, sometimes left there for weeks as their frantic families try to figure out where their loved ones are. Even simply going through the United States border is now a gamble, particularly as guards are apparently insisting on checking visitors’ phones to ensure they haven’t said anything critical of America and its glorious leader.
Tourism collapse
Absolutely incredible numbers.
— Arnaud Bertrand (@RnaudBertrand) April 13, 2025
As a reminder, tourism is about 9% of US GDP (https://t.co/x8XdThD8Tf)
As the saying goes "Empires are not murdered. They commit suicide." https://t.co/vPmDIU1LLG pic.twitter.com/rcKXECpBJh
As such, many are staying away. In December, research group Tourism Economics projected that America would see an 8.8% increase in international tourists, with a 16% increase in their spending. Then the Trump effect hit, with Tourism Economics now predicting a 9.4 percent decline in international visitor arrivals, potentially costing the country $9 billion.
There are also major questions about whether the country is equipped to handle an influx of World Cup visitors, players, and team staff. The US Travel Association has issued a report containing a dire warning that massive government cuts have left the visa system on its knees: “We’re not ready to host the upcoming mega decade of events that will draw millions of domestic and international travelers. This poses risks to our national security and hampers economic growth.
Looking further into the future, we have the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, which will come with its own difficulties when it comes to visitors from around the world descending on the country. But by that point, who can say what America will look like? Either way, if you want to attend the next World Cup, maybe stick to the Canadian and Mexican matches unless you want to end up in ICE detention.
Published: May 7, 2025 08:01 am