How America is shaping the World Cup

How America is shaping the World Cup

From Up First from NPR by NPR

June 7, 2026 · 22 min

About this episode

The episode discusses the challenges and significance of the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North America amidst geopolitical tensions.

The World Cup is back in North America for the first time in over 30 years. It’s the most popular sporting event on the globe and with 16 additional teams competing this year, it will be the biggest World Cup to date. But in Trump’s America, visa issues and geopolitical tensions are creating additional challenges for the teams and the fans. Today on The Sunday Story , we bring two of NPR’s biggest soccer nerds onto the show to talk about the competition, the entertainment, and the cultural significance of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy

Topics covered

  • World Cup
  • soccer
  • geopolitical tensions
  • visa issues
  • cultural significance
  • competition
  • entertainment

Keywords

  • World Cup
  • soccer
  • North America
  • Trump
  • visa issues
  • geopolitical tensions
  • 2026 FIFA World Cup

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: NPR

Places: America, North America

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