US could 'use 2026 World Cup as distraction', academics say
By OnzeActu · · 3 min read
British academics warn: the 2026 World Cup, which will take place from June 11 to July 19 in the United States, Mexico and Canada, could serve as a political showcase and image maneuver for Washington. They also denounce the expansion of the tournament to 48 teams, controversial sponsorship agreements and investigations into ticketing.
Several academics have warned of the risk that the 2026 World Cup will be used to burnish a political image or divert attention from internal issues in the host countries, and in particular the United States.
The tournament, the world's largest sporting event, will take place from June 11 to July 19 in cities across the United States, Mexico and Canada. For Emily Ryall, professor of sports philosophy at the University of Gloucestershire, major competitions provide a setting conducive to “political theater”. “The United States is not immune from similar criticism,” she said, arguing that mega-events help project strength, unity and national superiority to domestic and international audiences.
The issue of “sportswashing” — the use of sport to enhance a political image or distract from human rights issues — is not new. In recent decades, several states have already been targeted by similar accusations: Amnesty International criticized China's use of the 2008 Beijing Olympics, Human Rights Watch nicknamed the 2018 World Cup in Russia the "bloody World Cup" due to the deaths of numerous workers during the construction sites, and the media pointed out the role of sportswashing in the choice of Qatar for 2022.
This 2026 edition will also be the first to have 48 teams, compared to 32 during the previous World Cup. FIFA justifies the expansion by the desire to increase interest in football, but the body is accused by some of having favored financial motives.
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In addition, the attorneys general of New York and New Jersey have opened an investigation into FIFA's ticketing practices for the 2026 World Cup. They claim that fans were misled about the location of seats purchased and that blocks of tickets were deliberately withheld to inflate the prices of those put on sale.
The choice of business partners also attracts criticism. The partnership with the oil giant Saudi Aramco has aroused the discontent of environmental associations and other NGOs. “This World Cup, with the ridiculous Trump Peace Prize and having [oil producer] Saudi Aramco as the main sponsor, is reaching new levels,” observed Dr Oscar Berglund, lecturer in international and social public policy at the University of Bristol. For his part, FIFA President Gianni Infantino defended the agreement, ensuring that it “would focus on the development of grassroots sporting initiatives”.
The BBC specifies that it has asked FIFA for a comment on these analyzes and investigations.
These alerts are part of a broader debate on the place of international sport in the diplomacy and communication of States, while the 2026 edition of the World Cup promises to be the largest in the history of the tournament.