Donald Trump's controversial announcement of a travel ban on people from 12 countries visiting the US, immediately sparked questions about the implications for the upcoming Fifa Club World Cup and next year's men's football World Cup, both hosted in the US, as well as the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.
Author
- Eric Storm
Senior Lecturer in General History, Leiden University
The Fifa Club World Cup starts on June 15 and is hosted at venues across the US including at stadiums in Miami, Los Angeles and New York. Teams will travel from across the world to the US for the tournament.
The travel ban will start on June 9, just before the major tournament, which features some of the biggest football clubs in the world, will start.
While the announcement says athletes competing will be exempt from the ban, it is not obvious that this will extend to fans . And further restrictions on who can enter the country may add to the fear many travellers are feeling of being stopped at the US border.
The announcement states that "any athlete or member of an athletic team, including coaches, persons performing a necessary support role, and immediate relatives travelling for the World Cup, the Olympics, or other major sporting events as defined by the Secretary of State" will be exempted from the ban. There's not yet a list of which sporting events will be included in the exemption, or clarification of how the phrase "support role" may be interpreted.
Some teams that have qualified for the Club World Cup have players from countries listed in the travel ban, and Iran, which is listed , has already qualified for the 2026 World Cup. The countries listed in the travel ban are: Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen. Nationals from Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan and Venezuela may also face some restrictions.
The US relationship with both of its co-hosts (Mexico and Canada) for the world cup in 2026 is already rather tense, because of the current geopolitics, rhetoric and US tariffs. There's already been a significant downturn in Canadian travel to the US, and a boycott of US products, after Trump's assertions that he could take over his northern neighbour. This has also resulted in some tension at sports matches.
The rivalry against US teams is likely to be more intense than normal. And it's possible that many foreign fans could take out their frustration with Trump on US sportspeople. The president, who chairs the taskforce for the 2026 footballing event, could take that personally. And hostilities between rival groups of fans might escalate during the event.
In the current polarised atmosphere some artists may not want to participate in the opening ceremony, unless they are aligned with Trump's politics.
Historical sporting conflicts
Historically, political tension has had some impact on international sporting events, and affected how they were carried out. During the cold war, 60 countries , including the US, boycotted the Moscow Olympic Games of 1980 in protest against the recent Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. Four years later, 15 countries from the Soviet orbit responded by boycotting the Los Angeles games in 1984.
After the fall of the Berlin wall in 1989 brought an end to the cold war, international relations generally became more relaxed and this was also reflected in major sport events . Fifa sought to reconcile Japan and South Korea, who had a difficult shared history of colonisation and war-time exploitation, by pressuring them to host the 2002 World Cup together.
The tournament became a great success, patching up relations between the two countries . Both national teams performed better than anticipated, leading to outbursts of feelgood patriotism. This was unprecedented for Japan, burdened by the memory of the second world war.
Four years later, the world cup was held in a recently reunited Germany. Fans from around the world, dressed up in their national colours, were welcomed in the host cities. The German public threw off its generally restrained attitude - and celebrated by waving the national flag with enthusiasm. It was felt to be a symbol of a new positive phase of a reunified Germany.
Since the reelection of Trump, the United States has signalled it is reviewing its support for many international organisations , and is largely disregarding traditional avenues for soft power , (influence through cultural means such as film, art or foreign aid). Trump has also shocked Nato partners by suggesting that the US may not be willing to defend them.
In the shadow of these international events and the growing geopolitical tensions, the upcoming football world cups may find their atmosphere somewhat dampened.
Eric Storm does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
