Many in the sports world have already come out strongly against President Donald Trump’s immigration and refugee ban. It’s a very small thing compared to families being torn apart, but with these policies in place, the USA could be severely hampered in efforts to host major international tournaments.
Specifically, the World Cup and Olympic bids coming up for the mid-2020’s could shift from being perceived favorites to possible long-shots given the disdain from the international community for the executive order. Although it’s possible (maybe even probable) that these policies won’t be in place by the time those tournaments come around, the fact that they have been implemented so close to the bidding process will leave a sour taste in the mouths of the IOC and FIFA.
To put it bluntly, it makes it very difficult to host international sporting events when you’re trying to exclude part of the international community from your country.
The first example is the 2024 Summer Olympics. Los Angeles is one of three candidates to host those summer games along with Paris and Rome. The host city will be selected this September in Lima, Peru. However, at least one American member of the IOC says that the Trump executive order is a “blow” to Los Angeles’ hosting chances.
Via the New York Times:
David Wallechinsky, an American member of the I.O.C.’s cultural and heritage commission and the president of the International Society of Olympic Historians, said the election of Mr. Trump in November had hurt Los Angeles’s bid with I.O.C. delegates because Mr. Trump was perceived as being “anti-Muslim, anti-woman and anti-Latino.”
“This is worse,” Mr. Wallechinsky said of the Muslim ban, adding, “I would consider it a blow to the Los Angeles bid — not fatal but a blow.”
At a meeting at the I.O.C.’s headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland, several days after the American presidential election, Mr. Wallechinsky was asked repeatedly, “What is wrong with your country?” he said.
Another example of the effect of the executive order and Trump’s policies could be the World Cup. It’s all but a certainty that the United States in some form or fashion would host the 2026 edition of the tournament, either as a stand-alone bid or as part of a wider North America bid.
While US Soccer didn’t comment in the immediate aftermath of the Trump ban, captain Michael Bradley has publicly condemmed it. And before the election, US Soccer official Sunil Gulati commented that Trump’s policies towards Mexico would make it “trickier” to co-host a World Cup with our neighbors south of the border.
“I think a co-hosted World Cup with Mexico would be trickier if Secretary Clinton isn’t in the White House,” Mr. Gulati said at the time, in a reference to Hillary Clinton, who lost the election to Mr. Trump.
After Mr. Trump won the election, Mr. Gulati modified his remarks, saying, “It’s not going to dissuade us or persuade us to bid.” International perceptions of the Trump administration “matter, for sure,” Mr. Gulati said, “but I think those will be developed in the months to come.”
U.S. Soccer said Saturday it would have no immediate comment as it examined Mr. Trump’s order.
The 2026 World Cup bid is scheduled to be decided in 2020, which would still fall under the auspices of the Trump regime. Given US-Mexico relations are at its lowest point in any of our lifetimes, and the intent on the current administration to build a wall separating the two countries, it’s hard to imagine a joint bid coming to fruition over the next four years. Perhaps FIFA could send a message by awarding the 2026 World Cup to a joint Canadian-Mexican bid, who knows.
The Times also details the impact of the immigration ban on athletes from various individual sports as well. It could impact the friendly wrestling rivalry between the USA and Iran with Iran potentially reciprocating Trump’s ban against Americans. There are also athletes in leagues MLS who could face uncertain futures like Justin Meram of the Columbus Crew plays for the Iraqi National Team. After a weekend of uncertainty, gold medal track star Mo Farah was finally able to safely say he could return to his home and his family in Oregon.
Hosting major international sporting events like the World Cup and the Olympics isn’t quite what it used to be with countries seeing the effect of the massive cost in doing so and the white elephants that are left when the games are done. However, the USA is one of the few countries in the world with the massive infrastructure needed already in place for many of these events. We’ve seen how beneficial the 1994 World Cup was in growing soccer in the states and how successful previous Olympic bids have been.
Again, it’s a small thing compared to the very real pain that real immigrant and refugee families are experiencing, even right now. But with President Trump’s new policies and “America First” agenda, it could also mean that the USA is shut out from the international sports stage for the time being.