OPINION — In the months leading to the 2026 Fédération Internationale de Football Association’s World Cup, issues such as visas for players, staff and fans, and rising fuel and travel costs led many in the international soccer world to question the United States and its ability to host the games.
In this climate, now that the games have begun, the 2026 FIFA World Cup offers an opportunity to the United States, and particularly the 11 U.S. host communities, to counter that view and demonstrate a welcoming spirit that goes beyond mere hospitality. Each of these communities should take the opportunity to recognize and celebrate the international teams, athletes and fans, who are the heart of the World Cup.
In 1930 FIFA established the World Cup, as distinct from the Olympics, so that every four years the world’s best male soccer players, including professionals, could compete on behalf of their home countries. Sixty-one years later, the FIFA Women’s World Cup was introduced. The 2026 FIFA World Cup is the 23rd tournament in the series bringing together more than 1,200 male athletes representing 66 counties, spanning nearly every region of the world.
