Politicians are scum. An obvious statement, no doubt, but in times like these it bears repeating: Politicians. Are. Scum.
Not your guy or gal, of course. I’m sure they’re the exception that proves the rule. It’s everyone else. The ones engaged in zero-sum battles for power in which you and I are the perpetual losers. The ones knee-deep in culture war pissing contests, determined to splash on what little crumbs of joy we have left.
Seven years ago, when the United States, Canada, and Mexico were announced as joint hosts for the 2026 World Cup, it appeared we had been gifted such a crumb. Sure, we had already diverged from reality onto our current dystopian timeline, but here was a rose-tinted echo of 90’s bliss. A fat, juicy, soccer-flavored morsel of hope. Or, at the very least, escape.
And then the politicians got involved. Specifically, you-know-who.
Now, with the World Cup just nine months away, soccer fans must reckon with a hard truth: the United States is an inhospitable and unsafe host. And Donald Trump is to blame.
If hospitality begins with a smile then American hospitality is beginning to look like Trump's mugshot. From the new $250 Visa “Integrity” Fee, to expanded travel bans, to the illegal detention of (very legal) visitors, nothing says keep the hell away like a Trump immigration policy. In fact, they’ve been so potent that the World Travel & Tourism Council has projected the U.S. to be the only country this year to see a decline in international visitor spending. The loss is likely to be in the tens of billions, but the chilling effect could be even greater.
America has fashioned itself as an exclusive club where being deliberately hostile towards visitors is now part of our reputation. Like the Berghain of international tourism. Except the sound sucks and no one is dancing.
Because once inside, tourists will likely be met with the same severe weather and logistical headaches that plagued the Club World Cup this past summer. Not to mention the (presently) furloughed air traffic controllers, crumbling interstates, and underwhelming mass transit. (Uber surcharges for all!)
For the lucky foreign nationals who manage to weather each inhospitable hurdle and actually make it to a game, they’ll have the privilege of experiencing the uneasy feeling lingering in the back of the minds of most Americans: violence.
Violent crime. Gun violence. Political violence. Sadly, not a day goes by that violence of some variety doesn’t occupy part of our collective conscious. Our homicide, assault, rape, and robbery rates far exceed European averages, while mass shootings have become a tragic pastime. The truth is, America is not the shining beacon on a hill. It is 50 states united by fragile law, threadbare values, and self-inflicted trauma. In other words, it isn’t exactly safe.
But while MAGA mouthpieces fearmonger about radical leftists, what really makes America unsafe as World Cup hosts isn’t the smoldering flames of unrest. It’s Trump dousing them with gasoline.
Multiple studies have shown direct links between Trump’s incendiary rhetoric and an increase in violence towards minorities, journalists, and political opponents (demographics which the majority of World Cup visitors likely fall under). But even if we were to excuse calls for violence as a twisted expression of free-speech, his actions are undeniable.
ICE raids and military deployments against American citizens have become a trademark of Trump’s second term, resulting in more violence than one can count. All while his executive orders have successfully chipped away at protections designed to keep women, the LGBTQ+ community, and minorities safe.
In fact, his disregard for human welfare has gone so far that Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have called on FIFA to ensure human rights are upheld during the World Cup.
While the concern is appreciated, expecting an organization as notoriously corrupt as FIFA to hold the Trump regime to any kind of standard is like asking my dog to make sure I floss. And yes, FIFA is the dog in this analogy.
Because despite America being unfit as a World Cup host, FIFA president Gianni Infantino remains ever loyal. Like a good little boy, he does as he's told and never barks back. Even when Trump worms his way into the center of team celebrations. Or keeps (steals?) trophies for himself.
Or threatens to move World Cup games away from cities too blue for his liking.
When FIFA Vice President Victor Montagliani said such decisions weren’t Trump’s to make (a simultaneously respectable and insane thing for a sporting representative to level against a head of a state), Infantino brushed off the episode by issuing a statement so milquetoast it undermined the (questionable) authority FIFA has spent decades manufacturing.
But such is their relationship. Like a storyline from Succession, it’s one of unsettling servility. A farcical bromance between the school bully and the kid with the best toys.
In return for letting him play, Trump has called Infantino “probably the most respected man in sports.” It’s a superlative that unfortunately suggests Infantino is anything but. Because for Trump, respect is nothing more than an acknowledgement of power - his power - and those who acquiesce in kind.
The true essence of the word - holding someone in high esteem due to their character - is absent from this entire equation. And herein lies the fundamental problem.
The World Cup is a global event. A coming together of nations that’s as beloved by any one country as another. So as hokey as it may seem in the age of cynicism, FIFA has an obligation to at least strive for equality and respect. On and off the field. For both visitors and hosts.
This isn’t idealism. It’s just decency. If you want to reap the benefits of hosting, be a good host. Invite your guests in with open arms - don’t threaten them from the front door. Fill their cups and break bread - don’t force them to play Russian roulette.
In other words, don’t be an asshole.
Unfortunately for soccer fans around the world, that’s not Donald Trump’s strong suit. He’s made history out of being an almighty prick and, in doing so, has unleashed an age of indecency that has seen our most base impulses celebrated instead of sublimated. Scum begets scum, and with each passing day America spirals ever deeper into a cesspool of our own making.
In another era, FIFA would have moved the hosting rights to a different country. There’s already precedent, of course, with both the 1986 World Cup and the 2003 Women’s edition having been moved for logistical and public safety reasons, respectively. This time, however, FIFA has opted to play it by ear.
Expect to see nations like Iran conveniently drawn in Canada or Mexico for their group games. Or the inevitable civil unrest that will surround the country's 250th anniversary (coinciding perfectly with Round of 16 fixtures in Philadelphia) to be underplayed if not altogether ignored by Infantino.
Because despite all the red flags America presents, FIFA isn’t blinking. Instead, their eyes remain wide, fixed on the prospect of the most lucrative World Cup in history.
Not only are there more teams (48) and more games (104) than ever before, but FIFA has deliberately sought to ensure profit margins hit astronomical levels. (A curious approach for a non-profit, but hey, what do I know about C-suite charity!)
The introduction of a dynamic pricing model has been well documented and rightfully derided. The first round of tickets hit the market in September, with many tiers averaging 10x as much as Qatar four years ago. Meanwhile, the $60 group stage tickets that FIFA continues to publicly pat themselves on the back for barely sprinkled the distant perimeters of stadium seating charts.
For many fans, this was their first taste of the inhospitable. And while the shamefully inflated ticket prices don’t fall squarely on Trump’s shoulders, they are a direct reflection of his values.
Because in Trump’s America, free market exploitation isn’t just tolerated, it’s celebrated. Thus, a 15% commission on tickets both bought and sold on FIFA’s resale platform isn’t disgraceful, it’s merely an adoption of “existing and developing market practice.”
Still, just because Americans begrudgingly endure doesn’t make things like price gouging right. Even in Qatar and Russia such schemes were deemed unacceptable, and Trump could push back accordingly for this tournament.
Despite equating expensive with good (as all discerning people do), Trump revels in leveraging his power for easy PR. If he wanted, it would likely take little more than a phone call to get Infantino to rethink FIFA’s dynamic pricing policy and earn himself some populist street cred.
But of course, in the cult of the free market, that would be heresy.
Instead, it’s NYC Mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani making public pleas for FIFA to rethink their approach, insisting that the World Cup is a global celebration and should be accessible to all people. He’s even gone so far as to issue a “Game over Greed” petition that’s picked up thousands of signatures.
Call me a socialist snowflake, but Mamdani is right. (Maybe politicians are not all, in fact, scum?) The World Cup is everyone’s. And if, as Pope John Paul II famously said, “of all the unimportant things, football is the most important”, then for my money, the World Cup is a piece of our shared heritage. It should exist as neither a FIFA bargaining chip nor as a politician’s plaything.
But in acquiescing to Donald Trump, Infantino is relinquishing the World Cup to the whims of authoritarianism. And while the consequences might pale in comparison to the broader implications of Trump’s presidency, the degradation of cultural heritage shouldn’t be understated.
These unimportant things are deeply important. They are a refuge. A safe haven. Common lands not yet colonized by the festering Scum.
And that’s precisely why they’re being preyed upon. Because when it comes to 21st century politics, every last piece of the pie is fair game.
Even the crumbs.
