The US border runs straight through the World Cup

The 2026 FIFA World Cup, ostensibly a symbol of continental unity co-hosted by Mexico, the United States, and Canada, is drawing criticism for the US's role. From the outset, the shared hosting concept has been questioned due to the US's stringent visa restrictions and "travel bans," which critics argue exacerbate the event's socioeconomic exclusivity and undermine the intended international camaraderie.

“

From the get-go, the whole shared hosting concept was rather ludicrous, given that one of the hosts is particularly bad at playing with others.

Furthermore, the US maintains a heavily militarized border with cohost Mexico. This is juxtaposed against past rhetoric from US leadership, including threats of invasion and derogatory remarks about Mexican migrants. The article points to policies that effectively closed the US border to asylum seekers and refugees, suggesting these actions are linked to global upheaval that forces migration in the first place.

“

The US also presides over an insanely militarised frontier with cohost Mexico, a country US commander-in-chief Donald Trump has repeatedly threatened to bomb and invade.

The narrative highlights the stark contrast between the high cost of World Cup tickets and the desperate measures taken by individuals, such as a young man who paid $10,000 to cross the border into the US from Mexico. This is framed within a context of poverty and violence in Mexico, partly attributed to US-led initiatives like the "war on drugs."

“

In other unsportsmanlike behaviour, Trump has referred to Mexicans as criminals, drug dealers and rapists; in 2019, The New York Times reported his suggestion that US soldiers shoot migrants and that an alligator-filled moat be installed along the border.

Mexico's decision to host the expensive tournament, rather than allocate resources to pressing domestic issues like the over 134,000 disappeared persons, has been viewed critically by many Mexicans. The deployment of security forces, known for human rights abuses, around World Cup venues has also drawn negative reactions. The article concludes by referencing FIFA's history of corruption and its president's controversial award to Donald Trump, linking it to broader geopolitical issues.

“

Upon reassuming office last year, Trump in effect closed the US border to asylum seekers and economic refugees, a charming move, seeing as the US is responsible for much of the global upheaval that forces folks to migrate in the first place.