Trump, World Cup 2026 and human rights: football in the political focus!

Trump, World Cup 2026 and human rights: football in the political focus!

In a year, on June 8, 2026, the World Cup begins in the USA, Mexico and Canada. This event will be particularly important in the United States, where the majority of the games will take place. Donald Trump, the current president, has a strong interest in sporting events and could use the World Cup to improve the reputation of the United States. A clear focus is on the question of how the political situation and the views of the fans could have possible effects on the tournament. Martin Lüthe, American at the John-F.-Kennedy Institute, expresses concerns that football fans should carefully deal with political statements, especially with regard to the Trump government.

The USA already organized the World Cup in 1994, but football was significantly less popular at the time. The current popularity of sport in the USA remains questionable, especially in comparison to other sports. There are also concerns whether the Major League Soccer can put on enough fans to make the World Cup a full success. In this context, possible human rights violations are pointed out. Amnesty International warns that the World Cup could be overshadowed by problems in the field of human rights, which could prevent some fans, especially from South and Central America, to travel to the World Cup.

political and social dynamics

Lüthe is skeptical about the fact that the World Cup will have a positive effect on human rights in the United States. He believes that FIFA and political leadership in the United States are similar in their criticism and both could try to benefit from the mega event. The friendship between Donald Trump and Gianni Infantino, the President of FIFA, could actually bring economic advantages for both sides.

Human Rights Watch also criticized FIFA by indicating the poor working conditions and rights of migrants. It is argued that FIFA does not meet its responsibility when it comes to respect for human rights in the country that the World Cup is organizing. This raises additional questions about the legitimacy of the World Cup in the USA and increases the fears of the security and rights of fans and athletes.

sport as a connection element

Despite the numerous challenges, there is hope that sporting events in the United States can develop a united force. However, this success is strongly dependent on the performance of the US national team, which recently lost a disappointing game against Switzerland with 0: 4. The coming months will be decisive to observe how these different aspects develop and what effects they will have on the 2026 World Cup.

Further information on the critical voices regarding the World Cup can be found at rbb24