By: Ikraam Abdalla

You have probably heard of one of the most, if not, the most popular sporting event in the entire world, the FIFA World Cup. Hosted every 4 years, this huge battle happens amongst national teams to determine the world’s soccer champion. What’s special about this year is that the World Cup will be hosted in the USA, Mexico and Canada.

For the first time since 1998, 48 teams will be participating instead of just 32, bringing a new record of 104 matches to be played. 

This World Cup will have a lot of familiar faces such as England, France, Brazil, Spain and Argentina but also expect to see new countries that will be making their debut such as Uzbekistan, Jordan and Cabo Verde.

There will be a total 16 host cities, including Mexico City, Toronto, Vancouver, Atlanta, Houston, NYC and many more. The first game will be played on June 11, 2026 with Mexico vs South Africa held at Estadio Azteca Stadium in Mexico City. The last game (the finals) will be played on July 19, 2026 at MetLife stadium in New Jersey. 

Despite the excitement from soccer fans around the world, there is a lot of fear regarding US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) being present. Unfortunately, the US government has deported more than 500,000 people from the USA in 2025. This has led to widespread fear across the country which is harmful to the well-being of people in the US but also people traveling to the US. FIFA has said they are committed to working with all the hosting cities to meet human rights goals and ensure that the tournament operations are respectful of people.

But this whole impact goes beyond the World Cup as it instills fear for people everywhere and naturally so.

Ultimately, the FIFA World Cup 2026 should unite countries all around the globe. Especially in this time, the World Cup should be a celebration amongst communities, free from danger and discrimination. FIFA should take action to protect its players and supporters as they are the ones who are joining together as one for the game of soccer.

For more information, please visit:

• https://www.fifa.com/en
• https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2026/03/global-fifa-and-world-cup-hosts-must-prevent-tournament-becoming-a-threat-to-fans-and-communities/.
• https://www.britannica.com/sports/World-Cup-football.
• https://www.fifa.com/.
• https://inside.fifa.com/tournament-organisation/world-cup-2026-sustainability-strategy/strategy.
• https://www.olympics.com/en/news/fifa-world-cup-2026-10-things-100-days.