After the controversies and sportswashing of the two previous Men’s World Cups in Russia and Qatar respectively, many fans hoped that the 2026 iteration held across North America would provide a breath of fresh air. Instead, with less than a hundred days until the tournament kicks-off, the host countries are facing a myriad of domestic and geopolitical issues, giving rise to a certain degree of ‘sportswashing’, defined as the use of an athletic event to bolster one’s reputation often on a global scale.
With the recent Men’s World Cup final topping drawing 1.5 billion viewers, it is undoubtedly one of the premier world sporting events and is a huge moment of pride for all countries participating but, particularly for the host nation(s).
However, the current political climate involving USA’s war with Iran has cast doubts over Iran’s participation, with their current scheduled games being on American soil. FIFA President Gianni Infantino has put out a statement saying that President Donald Trump will welcome the Iranian national team and that it is important that football unites the world. The latter statement is an example of sportwashing — by refusing to acknowledge the underlying issues present at the upcoming tournament and simply brushing over them with a blanket positive statement about sport triumphing above all; the severity of war, violence, and human rights issues are all diminished.
The upcoming World Cup has been consistently reworked as a ploy by the United States to rewrite its global status after a series of geopolitical chaos and war. A successful World Cup for the host nation would mean that public attention would be directed away from the scandals the country faces, whether it be the unlawful deployment of ICE agents or the polarization of political parties. Instead the drama would be found on the pitch — sportswashing at the World Cup distracts from a demonstrated lack of accountability.
Moreover, sportswashing as a term is relatively new, but the concept and application have long been present. Nevertheless, this World Cup is shaping up to be one of the more blatant examples in recent history. In fact, after the onslaught of complaints FIFA received in regards to disregard of human rights issues at recent tournaments, they required each host city to submit a report detailing how everyone, especially marginalized communities, would be protected for the upcoming summer. The fact that not a single American city submitted this report on time is a concerning omen for player and fan welfare.
The 2026 World Cup is paving the way to become infamous for providing entertainment against a backdrop of heavy military presence, restricted visas for fans, and perhaps even the withdrawal of teams. These news stories about human rights controversies currently drown out pre-tournament gossip, but it is likely inevitable that the tournament will push through, people will watch, and accountability will be waved away, thus making the 2026 World Cup a successful victim of sportswashing.
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