With less than a year to go until the 2026 World Cup, political tensions and domestic politics in the United States threaten to derail the bid for the tournament to be co-hosted by Canada, the United States and Mexico.

The upcoming World Cup will be the biggest ever, with 48 teams competing in three countries for the first time. The games will be played from June 11 to July 19, with most of them on U.S. soil.

While millions of fans will cross borders to watch the games, President Donald Trump’s tough immigration policies — including travel bans, immigration raids and mass deportations — have raised concerns.

“All of this concern comes from the United States. We are completely to blame,” said Victor Matheson, a professor of sports economics at the College of the Holy Cross in Massachusetts.

He added:
“We may face serious immigration problems for fans and players crossing borders.”

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