A well-respected journalist has suggested that FIFA should move the 2026 World Cup from the United States to the United Kingdom.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup is 146 days away, but uncertainty remains over the competition and where it should take place.
As things stand, the US, Canada, and Mexico are co-hosting the international football tournament between June and July of 2026.
78 of the 104 fixtures will be played across the 11 American host cities – Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Houston, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Miami, New York/New Jersey, Philadelphia, Seattle, and San Francisco – with the final scheduled to take place at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on July 19.
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However, there have been some calls for the US to be stripped of hosting the tournament due to the political landscape and actions of President Donald Trump.
US foreign policy is just one controversial topic that may impact the tournament.
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In recent weeks, the US has taken military action in both Venezuela and Nigeria while also suggesting operations could happen in Greenland, Mexico, Colombia, and Iran.
This prompted 23 politicians from four parties – Labour, Liberal Democrats, Green Party, and Plaid Cymru – to sign a motion in parliament calling on international sporting bodies to consider expelling the US from major international competitions, including the World Cup, according to the BBC.
The group said that the event “should not be used to legitimise or normalise violations of international law by powerful states".
In June of 2025, Trump announced travel and visa restrictions to “protect Americans from dangerous foreign actors” before confirming citizens of 19 nations were no longer allowed to enter the US or travel to the nation was heavily restricted, impacting both Haiti and Iran, who have since qualified for the 2026 World Cup.
On January 14, the Trump administration indefinitely suspended immigrant visa processing for citizens from 75 countries, according to The Guardian.
The freeze will take effect on January 21.
As expected, the decision has drawn criticism from many, with former Sky Sports presenter Jeff Stelling offering his take on whether the US should be stripped via X.
Replying to a post in which one user said it was “irresponsible” for FIFA to allow the United States to host the tournament, Stelling said: “Totally agree. They should look at alternatives like the UK, to be honest.”
The United Kingdom has not hosted the World Cup since 1966, when England beat West Germany 4-2 in the final at Wembley, courtesy of a Geoff Hurst hat-trick and Martin Peters strike.
However, Euro 1996 took place in the nation, while several matches, including the final of Euro 2020 (played in 2021), were also hosted by the UK.
Euro 2028 will also be played across the UK and the Republic of Ireland.
Colombia is the only nation that was due to host the World Cup (in 1986) but never ended up doing so.
The South American nation voluntarily withdrew due to economic constraints rather than being stripped. The 1986 tournament was then moved to Mexico.
Topics: FIFA World Cup, Donald Trump, Jeff Stelling, Football
Luke Davies