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By Aliss Higham
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Calls are growing on social media for international soccer fans to boycott the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which is being hosted across the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Newsweek reached out to FIFA for comment via email.
Why It Matters
While there have been some World Cup boycott pushes in recent months, some over the cost of tickets, there are now renewed calls due to growing unrest, immigration fears, and the Trump administration's moves on the international stage—including President Donald Trump saying on Thursday night that the U.S. is “going to start now hitting land” and targeting drug cartels "running Mexico." Mexico is a co-host of the upcoming games.
Read More on U.S.
On January 3, the Trump administration launched a military raid in Venezuela to capture President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores. Prosecutors allege that Maduro, along with his wife, son and co-conspirators, took part in a cocaine-trafficking scheme tied to cartels labeled as terrorist groups. Maduro has denied the allegations and said the U.S. wants to control the country's vast oil reserves.
In recent days, the killing of Renee Good in Minneapolis by an ICE officer has further inflamed tensions.
Internationally, the White House has repeatedly stated its desire for the U.S. to take control of Greenland, a Danish-owned, self-governed territory.
The World Cup is by far the most popular soccer event worldwide, with more than 3.4 million spectators gathering in Doha, Qatar, to watch the games in 2022.
Boycott Calls and Canceled Tickets
"I cancelled my World Cup tickets," said Mohamad Safa, executive director of non-government organization Patriotic Vision, who has nearly 500,000 followers on X. "The ICE may decide that I am a gang member, and I'll be locked in prison for a year with no charges, no hearing, no trial, no right to consult a lawyer, no phone call. The US is not safe to visit."
"If the U.S. is disconnecting from the world why shouldn't the world disconnect from the U.S. beginning with the World Cup especially since the murder by ICE in Minnesota confirms that the U.S. is not a safe place for visitors & immigrants," Ajamu Baraka, a left-wing activist and former candidate for the Green Party, posted on X.
"Truly the world needs to boycott the World Cup and boycott the Olympics. The US is not a safe country for visitors," another X user posted.
"The first FIFA Peace Prize winner has this week attacked Venezuela kidnapping their president, threatened to attack Greenland, Mexico, Colombia & Iran & his ICE have killed an unarmed mum in Minnesota Leading to calls to boycott the FIFA World Cup! Have I missed anything?" former prosecutor Nafir Afzal wrote on X.
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In 2025, Trump was awarded the inaugural FIFA Peace Prize, which FIFA says is to "reward individuals who have taken exceptional and extraordinary actions for peace and by doing so have united people across the world."
X user Glenn Tunes wrote: "A COUNTRY THAT THREATENS WORLD PEACE ON A DAILY BASIS SHOULD ABSOLUTELY NOT HOST THE WORLD CUP OR THE OLYMPIC GAMES."
British politician George Galloway posted: "Only a lunatic would travel to the #USA for the @FIFAWorldCup You’d be lucky if you came out alive. Even if you were white!"
This isn't the first time the World Cup has faced threats of boycott. In the run-up to the 2022 World Cup in Doha, a range of boycott efforts and protest movements were organized over human rights concerns. Activists, rights groups and some public figures called for a boycott of the tournament to protest Qatar’s treatment of migrant workers, and for broader LGBTQ+ and civil liberties. Homosexuality is illegal in Qatar.
FIFA Pass
For those who are still planning to travel to the U.S. for the games this summer, the Trump administration last month unveiled a new “FIFA PASS” program intended to fast-track visa interviews for ticket holders.
The FIFA Prioritized Appointments Scheduling System is designed to help international fans travel to the U.S. with fewer delays while preserving the administration’s tough immigration policies. FIFA President Gianni Infantino, who appeared alongside Trump in the Oval Office, welcomed the initiative, saying it would help accommodate the surge of visitors expected for the tournament, which begins in June.
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