'Cancel your tickets': Calls grow to boycott US-hosted FIFA World Cup over Trump admin

[LetMyPeopleVote]

The World Cup needs to be cancelled or moved. “Visiting the United States simply isn’t safe.”

‘Cancel your tickets’: Calls grow to boycott US-hosted FIFA World Cup over Trump admin

www.rawstory.com/world-cup-26...

— br00t4c (@br00t4c.bsky.social) 2026-01-10T19:24:16.357Z

https://www.rawstory.com/world-cup-2674872045/

With the 2026 FIFA World Cup set to be hosted in the United States this summer, calls have grown for a global boycott and ticket cancellations in protest of the Trump administration and its increasingly aggressive deployment of federal immigration agents.

“I had to cancel my World Cup plans,” wrote Ramy Abdu, a Palestinian academic and assistant professor of law and finance, in a social media post on X Friday. “Visiting the United States simply isn’t safe.”.....

However, in the wake of the killing of 37-year-old Renee Good – the Minnesota woman who was fatally shot by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent on Wednesday – and Trump’s subsequent deployment of over 100 more agents to the state, critics have increased calls for sports fans worldwide to boycott the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

“Would you have gone to watch the Olympics in Nazi Germany in 1936?” asked Pekka Kallioniemi, a Finnish social media analyst with a focus on propaganda and disinformation, in a social media post on X Friday. “If the answer is no, it’s time to cancel your US World Cup tickets.”

Link to tweet

[leftstreet]

1. You can't really cancel anything but flights and hotels

You could try to sell your tickets, but they're non-refundable

[AZJonnie]

2. Depending on where you're coming from those cancellations could hit the pocketbooks of US hotel corps

And possibly US airlines. That will get their attention (if it's not already) on the fact that Mango Mussolini is bad for business. I don't know exactly who gets the money for tickets sold overseas but I'd guess US venue owners get a share, and unless everything is already sold out with non-refundable tickets, if they have to turn around an offer deep discounts just to fill the seats, it will hurt their pocketbooks as well. Not to mention, a massive FAIL at doing the World Cup generally will hurt IQ47's fee fees.

I don't prefer to hope for US companies to lose money *generally* but in this case? Boycott away, World!

[hlthe2b]

3. The Olympics in LA will be next.

Rick Wilson was beyond prescient: #ETTD

[dalton99a]

4. +1

[PeaceWave]

6. Why would anyone conceivably try to hurt fire-ravaged Los Angeles?

The Olympic games are going to be very important to Los Angeles. Democrats should in no way, shape or form be advocating hurting their economy.

[EdmondDantes_]

7. Except generally the Olympics cost the host city money

Since 1984 only one host city made money.

[progressoid]

9. This is no longer about LA.

Trump has made everything about him and his goon squad.

Plus if I were a coach, team, or player who's skin looked darker than a latte, I'd have serious doubts about traveling to the US to compete.

[hlthe2b]

12. PeaceWave.. who on earth do you think is advocating this? Trump is hurting the US with his

violent ICE policies against (not only) undocumented immigrants, but they have turned away even Europeans with valid visas and swept up Canadians, Europeans and many many others out of mere "suspicion" or who might have overstayed a short time.

Why would you blame ME or anyone else for pointing out that if you were a non-American wanting to spend the kind of money it will cost to see the summer Olympics in LA, that this response from World Cup tourists might well have an impact on THEIR decision to come?

This is not ME or Democrats or anyone else with a brain TRYING TO HURT LA. It is the impact of Trump and his policies. What part of that is hard to understand for any of us on DU?

[TheRickles]

5. A world-wide boycott of American businesses might be the only way to bring about change.

I'm not sure there's enough activism stateside to have a big impact. Hope I'm wrong, but that's how I'm reading the tea leaves today.

[Torchlight]

8. It's become a hot potato that PR depts. are even now readying weak rationalizations

to better better justify and excuse their board's involvement in it.

[maxsolomon]

10. I don't expect this will be successful.

The World Cup is taking place in Canada and Mexico, too. The US isn't THAT unsafe - even for foreigners - it's a political perception.

The demand for tickets is absurd. Group Round tickets are going for $500 in Seattle.

[JT45242]

11. Is it feasible to move all the games to Mexico and Canada?

I know they are each hosting some of the games -- could they host ALL the games?

Do enough direct flights from Canada to the appropriate Mexican cities exist without US layovers?

That would be the ultimate slap in the face -- plus would

[aggiesal]

14. There are now shipping routes from Mexico to Canada on the Pacific side, ...

bypassing the U.S. and any tariffs that might incur.

So there is no doubt in my mind that both Mexico & Canada would have enough stadiums to replace any of the U.S. venues and that airlines will create WC flights between Mexico & Canada.

[mwmisses4289]

13. Ts actions have already hurt the tourism industry here in the u.s.

Don't know about others states, but in my state there is something called HOT (hotel occupancy tax) that many small nonprofit venues rely for part of their yearly funding. Less tourists means less hot means less funding.
People and teams from other countries not wanting to come here means every job that relies on tourism is taking a major hit.

[Grim Chieftain]

15. Tourism is already down in the US

Perhaps people planning on visiting for FIFA may be concerned about ICE's horrific antics. That would certainly be understandable.