US sports billionaire Arthur Blank has said he hopes that geopolitical tensions will “settle down” before next year’s football World Cup, paving the way for a successful tournament that will grow the sport in the US.
The build-up to Fifa’s World Cup, which will be held in the US for the second time in June 2026, comes as President Donald Trump’s tariffs and aggressive stance on immigration have caused some groups to question the US’s suitability to hold the tournament.
Trump has also antagonised co-hosts Mexico and Canada — even threatening to annex the latter — by accusing them of failing to stop “cartel activity and influx of lethal drugs” into the US. A trade body, the US Travel Association, has warned that slow processing of visas could hinder the tournament’s success.