Calls are growing on social media for international soccer fans to boycott the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which is being hosted across the United States, Canada and Mexico.

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[–] 137 points 10 months ago (20 children)

I can’t imagine why the average football fan would risk going to the USA from another country right now. Even if they’re straight, white, Christian males.

Go to Mexico or Canada sure. But a fascist country with a stated goal of ethnic cleansing?

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  • [–] 99 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago) (15 children)

    You're over-estimating the intelligence and political engagement of the average football fan.

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  • [–] 27 points 10 months ago (7 children)

    I didn't think footballs were capable of either?

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  • [–] 7 points 10 months ago (4 children)

    Of course, where do you think Poland ball came from?

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  • [–] 11 points 10 months ago (3 children)
  • [–] 12 points 10 months ago* (2 children)

    poland ball

    Countryballs or Poland Ball are a popular meme/webcomic. I was making a silly joke.

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  • [–] 11 points 10 months ago (2 children)

    Especially those who can afford to go to the World Cup.

    My FILs pal is spending over £100,000 to take him and his 3 pals.

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  • [–] 10 points 10 months ago (2 children)

    I think its not even the average football fan.

    The peaceful suburbanite psyche of the average 'western' person hasn't been penetrated yet, even with all thats happened. Thats in large part due to the media, and how they don't cover the increasingly serious corruption, murders, and traitors.

    A great current example is the sentencing and jailing of that national traitor from Reform UK. It caused barely a blip in the media, just phenomenal there wasn't a classic british media circus around it, so phenomenal I find it suspicious.


    But its surely more than the media, maybe willful ignorance? Simple lack of care, a sort of "thats their business, not mine" attitude? I don't know, human behaviour is weird when it comes to inconvenience.

    So much of this world seems to run on whatever is most convenient, (to be read as least mentally taxing), for the person in the decision makers position at the time. Be it a president, local cop, lawyer, teacher, or any other authority position, it always comes down to was it easier for that person to make that decision, or this decision.

    Importantly, i think its the making of a decision not the outcomes of said decisions. So the easy decision could lead to harder to manage outcomes, but the decision maker at the time found that decision easiest to process as opposed a more complex option as the decision to go with.

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  • [–] 2 points 10 months ago (1 child)

    But this event could be the reason why People wake up. Imagine some crazy fans breaks out in fights in the streets of dallas forinstance (like in russia vm) When ice or national guard begins shooting visitors of mixed countries. Then you'll see the fans blow up.

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  • [–] 220 points 10 months ago (2 children)

    Our government is currently murdering citizens and disappearing brown people. Literally, why would anybody come here. My advice to everybody is that it's not worth the risk.

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  • [–] 95 points 10 months ago (2 children)

    American here. Don't come see us right now. Our place is a fucking mess and we really need to clean up, and it's gonna be a long, long time before we're ready for visitors.

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  • [–] 68 points 10 months ago (5 children)

    The teams should boycott.
    Begin with Spain and Brazil.

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  • [–] 31 points 10 months ago (4 children)

    and Brazil

    Yeah, we should, but money talks :(

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  • [–] 21 points 10 months ago (3 children)

    So does being locked out of international tournaments.

    That said, if the six or seven really big footballing associations did, that’d fuck the whole tournament. That’d probably work to some degree.

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  • [–] 10 points 10 months ago* (2 children)

    All the countries with big populations should pull out and the cup can be decided between the vatican and Andorra

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  • [–] 57 points 10 months ago (3 children)

    I really hope the stadiums are totally empty. We must not repeat the mistakes of the 1936 Olympics. Boycott the world cup and also boycott all their sponsors and advertisers and demand they pull their ads and stop funding FIFA which is a totally corrupt organization.

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  • [–] 16 points 10 months ago

    In a just world, this party would be considered so radioactive it would be Business 101 to lock the door in their face and make sure it's VERY clear you'd never serve their interests. To deal with them at all should risk being marked a traitor and shunned.

    Anybody who identifies with these bullies and thugs needs to have the privilege of watching that little red line plummet in real time.

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  • [–] 42 points 10 months ago (1 child)

    Boycott ALL international sports events in America or Russia. They don't deserve the attention or the economic boost.

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  • [–] 38 points 10 months ago (1 child)

    FIFA is getting a lot of good out of that peace prize.

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  • [–] 37 points 10 months ago

    Save yourselves, don't visit America. We may have to live in hell but you don't have to.

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  • [–] 36 points 10 months ago (11 children)

    I would be genuinely shocked if FIFA notices or feels any impact. Qatar was a huge success for them regardless of their country’s issues.

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  • [–] 21 points 10 months ago* (9 children)

    I mean Qatar was not actively attacking locations that were hosting games nor was it actively arresting all foreigners in their country for the crime of being in their country.

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  • [–] 11 points 10 months ago* (8 children)

    Neither will USA for 2 months (I’m guessing). I’m just saying I think soccer fans value soccer much more than they value justice.

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  • [–] 11 points 10 months ago (3 children)

    But, people have to plan a trip to the US much more than 2 months in advance. If the brownshirts don’t scare them, they still have to consider that they might get refused entry after paying for the flight, ticket car rental (they’ll need one) and hotel.

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  • [–] 8 points 10 months ago (2 children)

    My guess is that the Trump administration will loosen a lot of things for the duration of the World Cup. We’ll see though.

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  • [–] 1 point 10 months ago* (1 child)

    Feels like you are guessing and hoping a lot, while the event is just months ahead.

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  • [–] 1 point 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago)

    I literal said I’m guessing. I wouldn’t say hoping, though. It just feels like something that will happen.

    Failing at hosting the World Cup would be a huge embarrassment for Trump. But also, showing the world how much we have turned to authoritarianism would also be something he would do. So I can see it going both ways.

    Edit: either way, my point remains. Soccer fans will care more about soccer than about authoritarianism and will happily pay 1000 a ticket in an authoritarian country to see their favorite team compete.

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  • [–] 8 points 10 months ago* (3 children)

    Its not about justice so much as its about how likely they are to get shot in the face, something that I think even soccer fans probably care about. Avoiding the world cup in the US isn't just about politics, its about personal safety. The US is CONSIDERABLY less safe than Qatar for foreign tourists.

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  • [–] 6 points 10 months ago (2 children)

    We’ll see what happens. I just don’t think soccer fans will miss out on watching the World Cup.

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  • [–] 69 points 10 months ago (4 children)

    If people watched the Qatar World Cup where they literally killed thousands of slaves to build the soccer stadiums, only to say that the US is too bad for them to deal with... You know things are getting rough.

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  • [–] 6 points 10 months ago (2 children)

    Didn't watch Qatar either. Neither did majority of football fans. The problem is, that is not why fifa chooses these fucked up nations to host football. If it was about tickets, then it would always be in Europe. This is about power and money.

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  • [–] 2 points 10 months ago (1 child)

    Neither did majority of football fans

    This is unfortunately not true. Qatar had record numbers for attendance and viewership - average attendance was 96.3% of stadium capacity, with 5 billion total viewers worldwide.

    There was a tiny dip in numbers for 2018 compared with 2014, but they were still very high.

    I don't think there's much chance of it being any different next year sadly.

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  • [–] 2 points 10 months ago

    Did you not see the attendances?? 80% of the stadiums in Qatar 90% of the time were fucking white-skirtet saudis.. Non of which gave a shit about ball. You can't rely on those numbers. I am not Saying there wasn't a lot of tourists. I am pretty sure there was. But I also know they didn't sell much for danish football fans atleast. Which would had been sold out, if the event was en Europe. Even south Afrika, were sold out by fans.

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  • [–] 3 points 10 months ago

    I don't follow soccer (can you tell?) so I didn't know anything about that.

    this quote stands out to me:

    He's one of what Qatari authorities say is hundreds — and human rights investigators say is thousands — of World Cup workers who died there.

    ...if the Qatari authorities are admitting to hundreds of dead workers, you know something is up, because that number is already too high

    https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2022/12/02/1140260086/the-world-cup-has-taken-a-toll-on-the-migrant-workers-who-made-it-possible

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  • [–] 29 points 10 months ago

    It's not that I'm boycotting FIFA as much as I'm just not going to the US because I'm not a self-destructive idiot with a death wish.

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  • [–] 17 points 10 months ago

    "FIFA PASS" to fast-track visas? Sounds like a convenient cover story for terrorists to get in easily.

    /s

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  • [–] 16 points 10 months ago*

    World Cup in Mexico and Canada. Kick USA out, they don't understand Football and will terrorize fans.

    Edit: They didn't stop Nazi Germany to host Olympic games in 1936, it is not too late to stop USA to host World Cup and Olympic games while nazis are in power.

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  • [–] 29 points 10 months ago (5 children)

    If People from outsite us seriously are attending this event, I loose all hope in humanity. Attending in Mexico or Canada is fine. But don't cross any boarders to the usa.

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  • [–] 38 points 10 months ago (4 children)

    Just like all the events with the Saudis, in Qatar, the Winter Olympics in Russia, etc.

    Rich people will attend no matter what.

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  • [–] 14 points 10 months ago (3 children)

    Not just rich people. The world cup in quatar proved that.

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  • [–] 4 points 10 months ago (2 children)

    Qatar World Cup could be considered different as it was not being overtly anti tourist even though there were restrictions on them. They were welcoming as opposed to whatever US is trying to do.

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  • [–] 13 points 10 months ago (1 child)

    I live in one of the most popular tourist spots in the world, and I don't know why anyone from any country would visit America right now. It's a big world, go somewhere nice.

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  • [–] 5 points 10 months ago

    Hell if you want to go to a dictatorship fucking turkey is right there. Go see the remains of the Tomb of Halicarnassus, explore Istanbul, check out the ruins of the ancient Hittites. Better than pissing about New York or getting mauled by Death Valley if you're German.

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  • [–] 13 points 10 months ago (1 child)

    "Calls are being made on social media" - In other words, the same accounts that were already calling for boycotts are continuing to do so.

    Talk is cheap, more so online.

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  • [–] 18 points 10 months ago (6 children)

    Don’t boycott the whole thing, just attend events in Canada and Mexico only.

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  • [–] 66 points 10 months ago (3 children)

    You should always boycott the FIFA World cup

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  • [–] 9 points 10 months ago
    [–] 9 points 10 months ago

    Americans are afraid to go outside in their own country, why the fuck would anyone come here?

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  • [–] 8 points 10 months ago

    We're a bit ahead of schedule if we're trying to repeat the past 100 years on, no?

    The Berlin Olympics weren't until 1936, we've got another 10 years still!

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  • [–] 8 points 10 months ago

    Not sure if the World Cup can still happen of two or more of the host countries are at war with each other

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  • [–] 7 points 10 months ago

    First time U.S. is having the World Cup and Olympics in DECADES and it's while this felon rapist traitor is running the show.

    Guess those things are off my bucket list.

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  • [–] 7 points 10 months ago

    Should boycott everything FIFA anyway.

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  • [–] 5 points 10 months ago

    Already done. Boycotted the last, will boycott this and the next.

    I’ll probably die before I watch another FIFA tournament based match.

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  • [–] 5 points 10 months ago

    It's not about the attendees boycotting, since they are already with their heads in their asses, and rich enough to spent their money on this. It's the hosts who can boycott the shit out of this corrupt event. But be careful, in 1968, in Mexico, the students threatened to boycott the Olympic Games and got massacred, which brought the Dirty War period of the government against dissident citizens. I can see this happening to America during this period of relentless imperial fall.

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  • [–] 5 points 10 months ago*

    The teams should be boycotting too, but that would require having a spine, such a thing is rarely found in the soccer football world.

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  • [–] 4 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago)

    No sports but war instead, unfortunately.

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  • [–] 11 points 10 months ago (1 child)
  • [–] 2 points 10 months ago

    The USA govt will just buy the tickets and pay people to go and cheer for the dictator, ya know, the thing they always claim happens in the enemy countries

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  • [–] -2 points 10 months ago (7 children)

    I wouldn't fault anyone for boycotting the World Cup because it's in the US at this time, but in the end, it will end up hurting California more than the US at large, and that kind of plays right into Trump's hand.

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  • [–] 4 points 10 months ago* (6 children)

    Not if the USA teams boycott.

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  • [–] 0 points 10 months ago (5 children)

    How so? Again, I understand a boycott, but Trump already targets areas with large, Democratic-voting areas (such as L.A.) with ICE and withholding of federal funds. How will a boycott of US teams mitigate the damage done by a failed World Cup?

    Spending is projected to top $594 million, with an estimated $34.9 million of tax revenue generated for government entities in Los Angeles County. The most significant sources are the transient occupancy tax and the region’s share of sales tax revenues. At the state level, we project a bump of $22.3 million in tax revenue from FIFA World Cup 26™ being held in Los Angeles.

    https://losangelesfwc26.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/FINAL-FWC-26-LA-Economic-Impact-Report-Micronomics-2024-06-25.pdf

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  • [–] 1 point 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago) (4 children)

    1- There is no lack of money in California.

    2- If the USA teams specifically state the boycott is because of the President it makes him look terrible.

    3- If only the USA teams boycott, no money is lost. Americans don't really care about soccer. Do you know who won the MLS championship last year, I don't, does anyone here know without looking it up?

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  • [–] -1 points 10 months ago (3 children)

    1 You fail to address the loss of capital invested by the community, as if they all live in Beverly Hills and have money to piss away. East LA assures you that they do not.

    1. Yes, but the state of California still suffers.The locals still suffer from loss of return on their investment. See the "capital invested" part of point 1.

    2. Bullshit. Soccer is growing in popularity in the US and excluding US teams is the surest way to deter that interest.

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  • [–] 1 point 10 months ago* (2 children)
    1. Yes I did, if only the USA teams boycott fans from other countries still attend. All the money gained from tourism is still received.
    2. See #1
    3. At best its the 5th most popular sport in America, it might be even lower. I don't care if it deters interest, personally, I'd respect the players more if they boycotted.
    4. Again do you know who won the MLS championship? I see plenty of WORDLE comments and posts in your history, very couldn't find any MLS stuff.
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  • [–] 0 points 10 months ago (1 child)

    My God! What a brilliant deduction! I'm not a soccer fan, so my opinion on something only tangentially related to the sport is invalid and that makes your ridiculous assertion that LA's World Cup will be miraculously successful if the host country's teams would just withraw completely valid. Brilliant!

    I see that you looked at my profile to try to make this about me rather than your weak argument. You should really join us in dailygames! The daily brain exercises might help you to form coherent thoughts and understand some of the words I just used.

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