The US border runs straight through the World Cup

Article excerpt

Soccer's 2026 World Cup, co-hosted across the United States, Canada, and Mexico, was pitched as a unifying continental celebration. Instead, Trump's hardline border policies have transformed the tournament into a flashpoint over migration and exclusion, with the physical border between the U.S. and Mexico cutting directly through matches and fan experiences. The contrast between the tournament's stated purpose, bringing nations together, and the enforcement apparatus surrounding it has created an uncomfortable tension at the heart of what should be sports' greatest spectacle.