Net gains: America’s World Cup test

Well, the 2026 FIFA World Cup is upon us. The World Cup is the most watched sporting event in the world. For a little over a month, billions of people from around the world will tune in to support their national teams, revelling in victory, consoling in defeat.

But these events are never just about the sport.

For the host nations, the World Cup – much like the Olympics – provides an opportunity to show off the best the nation has to offer. It’s a chance for governments to shape global perceptions, attract admiration, and bolster alliances without the need for coercion. A chance to present themselves as open, diverse and welcoming.

For the United States, however, this presents a double-edged sword. As much as events like the World Cup present opportunities, they can invite intense international scrutiny. Domestic politics is put under the international spotlight in a way that can reveal gaps between the image a nation wants to project, and the reality that visitors, journalists, and citizens experience.

This matters because American power rests on far more than military or economic might. It has rested on the long-held American ideals of liberty, equality, opportunity, and democracy. While this story remains contested, the World Cup will test just how persuasive it remains.

The tournament begins at a moment when the US’s international reputation is under immense strain.

The most immediate issue will be immigration enforcement.

With some 10 million visitors expected over the course of the World Cup, over 120 civil society groups have sounded the alarm with regards to the risks of ‘serious rights violations’ including arbitrary arrests, denial of entry, racial profiling, and deportation. 18 people have already died as a result of ICE’s use of force – and a number of American citizens have either been arbitrarily arrested and detained.

Regardless of the politics behind such immigration policies, these warnings are significant. The very nature of the World Cup requires a guarantee for the movement of players, fans and journalists, and a promise that people from around the world can safely gather and celebrate. If visitors feel unsafe or unwelcome because of the way they are questioned, searched or even detained, the value of the tournament to the US’s image may be decimated despite any on field successes.

One of football’s great global appeals lies in its openness. It is a tournament built around national pride and shared participation. Unfamiliar cities become temporary homes to millions of fans wearing national colours in public, united by singing songs. It’s hard to imagine not singing ‘Waltzing Matilda’ when cheering on Australia’s national teams in virtually any sport.

But this sits awkwardly in a political climate that has become pathologically suspicious of outsiders.

The US may oversee a successful tournament with full stadiums and polished broadcasts that project unity and celebration. But soft power is not created by spectacle on its own. It requires credibility. If visitors feel watched, or unsafe, success will be a difficult narrative to sell.

Put simply, the US cannot easily present itself as the world’s natural democratic leader if its own democratic norms and institutions are under question.

What makes things even more complex here is the very public association of FIFA’s President, Gianni Infantino with President Trump, most notoriously presenting him with the inaugural FIFA Peace Prize in December 2025. In doing so, the tournament has become tied more closely with Trump’s personal brand.

While such a move may act to firm up support amongst Trump’s political base by allowing him to claim that America is respected once again – internationally, audiences are likely to see something different.

They may see a country still capable of extraordinary spectacle, but less capable of moral authority. They may see packed stadiums and anxious borders. They may see celebration alongside coercion.

The FIFA World Cup is not destined to damage the US’s international reputation. In fact, a safe, joyful, and incident free tournament could go a long way in terms of repairing the US’s global image.

But the test is more than just games running on schedule and witnessing numerous displays of athletic exceptionalism.

The real test is whether the US can make the rest of the world feel welcome.

America has been leader of the international order for more than 80 years. Its staying power has depended on much more than what it has been able to force others to do, and more on its ability to make others want to emulate what they see in the so-called city on the hill.

The 2026 World Cup will show just how much of that appeal remains.

Dr Morgan Rees is a Senior Lecturer of Policy and Politics in the QUT School of Justice. He teaches in the Policy and Politics major, focusing on global justice and human rights. His research is primarily in US and Australian foreign policy with current projects looking to examine the future of Australia-US relations in context of the rise of Trump and an increasingly inward-looking US.

Dr Rees is terrible at soccer, but he refuses to let that stop him from passionately supporting the Socceroos.