The 2026 World Cup begins on Thursday night with its main host at war with one of the participants — a team that must commute in on match days from another country. But that is only the start of the geopolitical high-wire act that makes this tournament unlike any before.
Donald Trump, back in the White House since last year, is extremely focused on the tournament, its sponsors and the economic fallout. The US president joked that his loss to Joe Biden in 2020 allowed him to return for this World Cup and the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. Trump has already controversially accepted a Peace Prize from FIFA before initiating the war with Iran that triggered a global energy and economic shock. There is even a chance the US and Iran could play each other in the knockout stage on the weekend of America’s 250th independence celebrations.
“The 2026 World Cup is embroiled in trade wars and geopolitical tensions, with hosts US, Canada, Mexico renegotiating NAFTA during the tournament.”
As the minutes ticked down to kick-off, Trump appeared to call off new air strikes and seemingly promised that a deal to end the war was close at hand — though earlier that day he vowed to hit Iran “very hard”. The renewed hostilities between Tehran and Tel Aviv prompted Trump to call directly for an end to attacks.
Meanwhile, the three co-hosts — the US, Canada and Mexico — are in the midst of an epic trade war. Between the opening ceremony at the Estadio Azteca and the final at New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium, they will be renegotiating the USMCA, the North American free trade area. Gianni Infantino, president of FIFA, has previously called for ceasefires during World Cups. If the tournament quickens de-escalation, it could materially affect energy prices, supplies and the world economy.
“Football is nothing without the fans,” the legendary former Scotland World Cup manager Jock Stein once said. Some fans at the globe’s biggest party will pay previously unheard-of amounts for what may turn out to be dead rubber games, while forking out roughly the normal ticket price just for the commuter train to the stadium. A New Jersey Transit ticket that normally costs $12.90 return is $100 for the tournament. The fans are being squeezed like never before because this is a very different economic model.
Whether the World Cup can actually influence the world’s major economic conflict, who knows. But make no mistake — another part of the economic jigsaw is happening right in front of football fans worldwide: a complete shakedown of football’s economics, and one of the most visible examples of how some of the world’s major economies increasingly operate.