Legal Challenges for the 2026 and 2027 FIFA World Cups

The 2026 FIFA World Cup is likely to engage with a host of legal issues that were not faced by past organisers. Key among these is the entry of foreign fans in the United States, chiefly because of strict immigration controls imposed by the Trump Administration. It may well be the case that many ticket holders will be unable to obtain visas or entry into the country. In addition, the Trump Administration has curtailed several strands of the freedom of expression, particularly as regards voicing concerns about the genocide in Gaza and Israeli actions in this respect. It is not unlikely that such restrictions will be extended to expression concerning recent US military action in other parts of the world. Moreover, while traditionally FIFA World Cups showcased and celebrated diversity in all its forms and expressions – even if strained at times – the US has recently removed protection or positive discrimination that otherwise benefitted minorities of all kinds, including gender, sex or other. While the host state agreement is the key contractual instrument in the World Cup legal armoury, which also includes all of FIFA’s rules and regulations, there is little evidence that FIFA presses hard on these issues.