By Finn Wastage, First Year, Politics and International Relations, and Paul-Louis Zurita, First Year, Politics and International Relations
The World Cup this year is split between the United States, Canada and Mexico, with football fans all over the world counting down the days until their nations play on the world stage. It's the basis of every conversation: Who will escape the group of death? Does Ronaldo still have it? Is it coming home? (Please, Tuchel). Despite this excitement, for many, for me and Paul at least, it is slightly overshadowed by the host nations, the US in particular.
Sports washing is the use of a beloved sporting event and the attraction of fans to give a positive image of the hosting nation(s) and their governments. This is often in an attempt to distract from human rights abuses or unethical uses of power.
The act of sportswashing is not new and can be traced back to when Nazi Germany hosted the Olympic Games in 1936. For this, they paused the legislation prohibiting homosexuality, stopped harsh, discriminatory rhetoric in the state-run newspapers, and removed Nazi and anti-Jewish imagery. They even allowed a token ‘non-Aryan’ athlete, silver medallist Helene Mayer, whose father was Jewish.
Similarly, the 2018 world cup could not have come at a better time for Russia. This is because the state was under criticism for allegations of extrajudicial killings, illegal detentions and the torture of gay men. Moreover, there was also significant concern about US election interference and the invasion of Crimea in 2014. These democratic and human rights violations were somewhat overlooked however, due to intense interest and excitement generated towards the World cup.
This may benefit the US, as Trump's regime has harmed the country's image on a global scale. Heavy criticism has been levied at his government for deporting more than 450,000 people since taking office, ICE agents killing unarmed civilians (including American citizens), and Trump’s international interventionist policy. The latter has included bombing 7 countries, including Iran, this UN condemned attack has triggered an exponential increase in oil prices globally.
US athletes already dominate a lot of sports, but ‘soccer’ remains to be tamed. Included in SportPro’s top 50 most marketable sports stars of 2025 featured a variety of American athletes, including basketball star Lebron James and Olympic sprinter Noah Lyles, but none for football. Given that the beautiful game is the most watched sport in the world, it provides the US with a chance to grow the sport’s popularity domestically and become a potential ‘soccer’ powerhouse in the future, further increasing their global influence.
Now you might be wondering if sportbashing is a real word. Well, no, what we mean is whatever the opposite of sportswashing (sportsdirtying maybe?). By hosting the world cup, the US is somehow creating an even worse image of itself, an own goal if you will.
Minky Worden from Human Rights Watch was recently quoted in the Guardian stating that the 2026 World Cup was “supposed to be the first world cup with a human rights framework” but instead the “US administration's brutal immigration crackdown, discriminatory policies and threats to press freedom means the tournament risks being defined by exclusion and fear”.
This was exacerbated by the US government's explicit refusal to prohibit ICE agents from targeting foreign fans in stadiums, meaning many are anxious about arrests being carried out during games.
The close friendship between FIFA president Gianni Infantino and Trump also harms America’s global image. After Chelsea's victory in the FIFA Club World Cup Trump went on stage and refused to leave until the trophy was lifted, despite signals from the players, creating palpable awkwardness. He then went on to ask Infantino if he could keep the original trophy and give Chelsea a replica. Not to mention the incredibly strange situation of Trump winning the FIFA peace prize unanimously (Because he was the only contender), in consolation for the Nobel Peace Prize.
This relationship has caused fear in a lot of fans to the extent to which Trump will be directly involved in the tournament, taking attention away from football itself.
Additionally, the 2026 World Cup has been under heavy criticism for price gouging, shattering all price records by 320%. This was a move by FIFA to go to dynamic pricing, prices based on demand to maximise revenue. FIFA also introduced a new tier of seats, without informing the public, rates of which exceed $10,000 in the final. This significant increase in ticket prices left many ordinary fans priced out, as the higher class was prioritised in the sale of tickets due to their ability to afford high prices.
It is not just the ticket prices that are extortionate, the accommodation costs and travelling to games is extremely expensive. The cost of a return flight from London is up to £800, as well as up £5,000 on accommodation. The only way to get to most stadiums is by car which will be tricky for all the away fans to find and afford a rental. In the case of the final public transport available, rail line prices jumped from 12.90$ to 150$ and bus prices were hiked up to 80$. One England fan, Andy Milne, sold his £350,000 property as a means to ensure he is able to follow the three lions in every game.
Although the shameless price gouging is not directly a fault of the US, it taints their image due to Trump's intimate relationship with Infantino.
The decisions around this World Cup do not just affect fans travelling to games, but also those watching at home. This is because the drinks breaks introduced in the Qatar world cup have been extended to 3 minutes, which is conveniently the same length as an ad break. Many pundits have speculated this to be a means of maximising revenue, tearing a football match into four quarters.
We are not saying to not enjoy the world cup, you’ll find Paul screaming Allez les Blues when they play fast-flowing football and me singing Sweet Caroline when England scrape a 1-0 win. But enjoy it knowing when (if) Kane lifts the trophy, it will be with Trump's hand on the other handle.
What are your thoughts on the World Cup host country?
Featured Image : @Gianni Infantino | Instagram
