Trump to engage in soccer diplomacy at World Cup draw

Donald Trump may still debate whether to call it soccer or football, but his objective is clear: leveraging the worlds most popular sport to achieve diplomatic aims. This Friday, he plans to meet with the leaders of Canada and Mexico, co-hosts of the 2026 World Cup, during the tournament's ceremonial draw in Washington.

The 2026 World Cup, hosted jointly by three nations for the first time, offers a platform to showcase North American unity. All three leaders are scheduled to participate in the ceremonial draw, where the 48 qualifying teams will be assigned to 12 groups.

However, ongoing tensions in trade, immigration, and drug enforcement complicate the backdrop of this event. For Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, the meeting with Trump will be their first. She stated that discussions will cover bilateral trade during a brief meeting ahead of the draw. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, who has visited the White House twice, will also have a short meeting with Trump at the Kennedy Center, the event venue, marking their first encounter since November in South Korea amid a trade dispute.

Trump has imposed high tariffs on exports from Canada and Mexico not covered by the USMCA agreement, and has threatened further measures if cross-border migration and drug trafficking are not addressed. His controversial remarks, including being "OK" with military strikes in Mexico against traffickers, have raised tensions, while his earlier suggestion of making Canada the 51st US state drew outrage.

Despite these tensions, the three nations remain on track to host the worlds premier football tournament, a joint bid first launched in 2017. Trump has openly used the World Cup to advance political and diplomatic interests, even as his personal knowledge of football relies heavily on his son Barron, 19.

Trump has cultivated a close relationship with FIFA President Gianni Infantino, who maintains ties with several authoritarian leaders, including Russias Vladimir Putin. Trump has even hinted that participation in the 2026 World Cup could incentivize Russia to end the Ukraine conflict. Infantino will award a new FIFA "peace prize" at the draw, which Trump is widely expected to receive.

Trumps football diplomacy has intersected with his domestic immigration priorities. He recently introduced a fast-track visa for World Cup ticket holders, though Secretary of State Marco Rubio cautioned that tickets do not guarantee US entry. Following an alleged attack by an Afghan national on National Guard members, Trump froze asylum decisions from 19 countries, including World Cup participants Haiti and Iran. He has also stirred concern by threatening to relocate matches from Democratic-led cities with active anti-crime and immigration campaigns.

Author: Noah Whitman