As the world’s most-watched sporting event, the FIFA World Cup exerts unmatched global influence and has proven to be especially significant in times of unrest. The 2026 World Cup will kick off on June 11, with games hosted by 16 cities across the United States, Canada, and Mexico, the vast majority taking place in America. From the ICE immigration crackdown to the war in Iran and much more, fans and scholars are waiting to see how this year’s World Cup will unfold amidst international turmoil.
The Lepage Center for History in the Public Interest hosted the webinar “Watching the World Cup in a Global Crisis” on Tuesday, March 24. The event was moderated by Villanova History Professor Paul Steege and featured four panelists with expertise in history and sports journalism. Panelists included Canadian journalist and sports activist Shireen Ahmed, University of Virginia Professor of History and Principles of Democracy Laurent Dubois and Philadelphia Inquirer soccer reporter Jonathan Tannenwald.
The panelists expressed a range of emotions and expectations about the World Cup rapidly approaching in a time plagued by wars and crises around the world. Ahmed spoke about her approach to covering the tournament from Canada.
“I do not travel to the United States by choice because I’m not interested in going somewhere where I could be detained or I could be deported against my will,” Ahmed said. “As somebody who was born and raised in Canada and has full citizenship, I don’t feel safe and free to attend on a professional level.”
Dubois recalled how many World Cups have occurred during times of crises, including the 1938 World Cup in France as the Second World War approached.
“The love that people have of football somehow overcomes all of these things,” Dubois said.
Dubois clarified that excitement surrounding the tournament does not make global or domestic issues disappear.
Tannenwald addressed how FIFA’s unreasonably high ticket prices have restricted game access to many dedicated fans. Panelists recalled that FIFA has historically demonstrated corruption and entanglement with authoritarian politics but still profited enormously, and pondered if this year is no different.
Ahmed emphasized the importance of community in sports.
“The community connection is so pivotal,” Ahmed said, “It’s the lifeblood of what soccer is and lives and breathes through so many countries all around the world.”
However, this year’s World Cup presents great unpredictability, and Ahmed fears multicultural communities will not be able to enjoy watch parties due to threats of ICE invasions.
Regarding the possibility of Iran withdrawing from the tournament, Tannenwald grappled with “the balance between showing up or not.” He recalled historic demonstrations of controversial teams showing up and consequently gaining leverage to advocate for reform in their unjust home governments. Dubois meanwhile discussed the critical platform that national teams hold.
“Soccer is one of the most important spaces through which to talk about immigration, identity and diaspora and so forth,” Dubois said. “We should not pass up the fact that sports and soccer allow for a political opportunity to rethink nations.”
Tannenwald spoke of a rich soccer history local to Villanova and the surrounding area.
“Philadelphia has a century-plus of real, deep, rich soccer history that few cities in the United States can rival,” he said. “[Hosting is a unique opportunity that could] catapult the city in ways that nothing else ever has. Not the Pope. Not the NFL draft. Once you are a World Cup host city, you have that status forever.”
The webinar concluded with panelists underscoring how soccer embodies humans’ ability to overcome challenges, pushing for unity to prevail over division and corruption.
Although the 2026 World Cup seems dauntingly uncertain, citizens should not underestimate the immense political power this event wields and should look forward to the sense of community the tournament fosters around the globe.
