SUBSCRIBE & SAVE Less than $3 per week View Profile The Explainer Talking Points The Week Recommends Newsletters From the Magazine The Week Junior Food & Drink Personal Finance All Categories Newsletter sign up In The Spotlight World Cup 2026: uncertainty reigns with one year to go US-hosted Fifa tournament has to navigate Trump's travel bans, logistical headaches and an exhausting expanded format Newsletter sign up Will England qualify for the World Cup? Tuchel may need a 'miracle' after 'embarrassing defeat' to Senegal (Image credit: The FA / Getty Images) Harriet Marsden, The Week UK 11 June 2025 The one-year countdown to the Fifa World Cup 26 begins today and the biggest men's football tournament on the planet is already beset with controversy. The 23rd World Cup will be co-hosted by the US, Mexico and Canada, with America taking the lion's share of the venues. But Donald Trump's recent travel ban on citizens of 12 countries, as well as his attacks on the two co-hosts and the intensifying immigration raids, have created immense uncertainty about safety and logistics. And with Fifa boss Gianni Infantino, an attendee at Trump's inauguration, announcing an expanded format and an unprecedented half-time musical show during the final, it's being dubbed the "Maga World Cup". 'The Donald Trump World Cup' The US administration's new travel policy does make exceptions for "any athlete or member of an athletic team, including coaches, persons performing a necessary support role, and immediate relatives, travelling for the World Cup, Olympics, or other major sporting event". But there are no exceptions for travelling fans from the "banned" countries. And, for other fans, there are widespread concerns about long wait times for foreign visitor visas, the impact of the administration's swingeing cuts to federal departments, and crumbling public transport in host cities. Subscribe to The Week Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives. SUBSCRIBE & SAVE Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox. From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox. It's clear that Infantino has "fully draped the tournament around one of his favourite strongmen", said Leander Schaerlaeckens, a lecturer in sports media, in The Guardian. The 2026 World Cup will be "leveraged for the glorification of a leader to a degree not seen since Benito Mussolini dominated the 1934 World Cup in Italy". This tournament will "be remembered as The Donald Trump World Cup (trademark pending)". UK teams have yet to start their qualifying matches, so it remains to be seen which home nations will make it to the World Cup. But yesterday, with just days to go before the qualifiers start, England were beaten 3-1 by Senegal: their first loss to an African team in 22 matches. New coach Thomas Tuchel "felt the full fury" of supporters after the "embarrassing defeat" said the BBC's chief football writer Phil McNulty. England, quarter-finalists in the 2022 World Cup, were "abysmal" and, if that performance is an "realistic indicator" of their hopes next summer, Tuchel will "need to conjure up a miracle". 'Logistical headaches', 'meaningless games' Should miracles happen and England – or Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland – qualify, new difficulties wait, said The Independent's chief football writer Miguel Delaney. The "absurd" size of the tournament, taking place across three geographical zones (west, central and eastern), means "logistical headaches" for teams looking for a base with training facilities. And the tournament format could be an even bigger headache. There will be 48 teams playing, split into 12 groups of four. The first 17 days of the almost six-week tournament will just be matches in those 12 groups; only after that will the 48 teams be narrowed to 32, so "70% of the tournament will be spent eliminating a third of the field". There is "a genuine danger everyone will be fatigued by the quarter-finals." Every World Cup expansion since the 1930s has come under similar criticism, and there are certainly advantages for the smaller countries who manage to qualify. But all the extra matches mirror the wider problem of "congestion" in the modern football calendar, and the rise of "so many meaningless games, or competitive games where everyone is shattered". Some senior industry figures are "openly comparing" Fifa to Disney, which flooded the market with more and more films from franchises like Marvel and Star Wars: successful at first but ultimately diluting the content – and the profits. "Somehow," one senior football source told the paper, "Infantino has made football's premium tournament worse. It's going to be an absolute mess." Explore More England football team Donald Trump Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com Contact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsorsBy submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over. Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Social Links Navigation Harriet Marsden is a writer for The Week, mostly covering UK and global news and politics. Before joining the site, she was a freelance journalist for seven years, specialising in social affairs, gender equality and culture. She worked for The Guardian, The Times and The Independent, and regularly contributed articles to The Sunday Times, The Telegraph, The New Statesman, Tortoise Media and Metro, as well as appearing on BBC Radio London, Times Radio and “Woman’s Hour”. She has a master’s in international journalism from City University, London, and was awarded the "journalist-at-large" fellowship by the Local Trust charity in 2021. Five takeaways from Rachel Reeves' Spending Review The Explainer The winners and losers as the government sets its budgets for the next four years Is Hamas losing control in Gaza? Today's Big Question Balance of power among remaining leaders shifts as rival group emerges and population turns Mario Kart World: Nintendo Switch 2's flagship game is 'unfailingly fun' The Week Recommends The 'thrilling' racer includes a range of new features including open-world exploration You might also like Sports betting is causing athletes to be abused and harassed online Under the radar Baseball players, tennis stars and others have raised the alarm Chessboxing: the unique sport becoming a global hit Under the Radar The sport involves a full game of chess interspersed with rounds of boxing Why is the NFL considering banning the 'tush push' play? Today's Big Question The play is widely used by the Philadelphia Eagles, to other teams' chagrin Have the Rockies reached a breaking point? the explainer Baseball's most aimless franchise takes aim at a record set just last year How do new stadiums affect football clubs? In the Spotlight Everton's decision to move its men's team out of Goodison Park could be a catalyst for vital change, but there are cautionary tales too MLB lifts ban on Pete Rose, other dead players 16 deceased players banned for gambling and other scandals can now be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame Liverpool's Anfield redemption: how did they do it? Talking Point Arne Slot's blueprint and standout player performances guide the Reds to record 20th league title Torpedo bats could revolutionize baseball and players are taking notice In the Spotlight The new bats have been used by the New York Yankees with tremendous success View More ▸ Contact Future's experts Terms and Conditions Privacy Policy Cookie Policy Advertise With Us The Week is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site. Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street