The USA is scheduled to host the World Cup in Football in 2026 and the Olympic Games in 2008. In the light of recent behaviour by the Trump administration, that clash significantly with the values of Olympic Sport Organisations, the question arises, should the USA be allowed to host these major sporting events?
The Olympic Movement is built on three core values: Excellence, Friendship, and Respect. These are supported by broader ideals such as fair play, non-discrimination, solidarity, ethical conduct, education, and peace through sport.
The main product of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) is the Summer Olympic Games. Overall, they have been conducted successfully and in line with their values, but there have been incidences when this has been put into question, e.g. Berlin 1936.
With recent changes to the administration of the USA and their actions to violently remove illegal immigrants along with recent actions in Iran that potentially could lead us to World War III, should these Games go ahead in 2028?
More immediately, The Football World Cup finals will be hosted jointly by the USA, Mexico and Canada later this year in 2026. FIFA consistently emphasise these core values:
- Integrity and ethical conduct — FIFA says it aims to operate with the highest ethical and integrity standards.
- Accessibility and inclusion — FIFA states it wants football to be accessible and inclusive so everyone can play without barriers.
- Human rights and anti-discrimination — FIFA’s statutes and human-rights materials stress respect for internationally recognized human rights, equality, and fairness.
- Unity through football — FIFA repeatedly describes football as a force that brings people and countries together.
- Development of the game worldwide — FIFA says its role is to grow football at every level, from grassroots to elite competition.
- Innovation, education, and collaboration — FIFA says it advances football through innovation, education, and collaboration with its member associations.
Already there have been calls by fans and even some teams to boycott the World Cup. Should events continue to go they way they are now the same may happen to the Olympic Games in 2028.
The responsibility of both FIFA and the IOC is to protect the integrity of their product. To that end, they hold the keys to their major products and demand that host nations adhere to the values that they promote. So will these events go ahead?
Sadly they will. Even if things deteriorate significantly and the USA behaves even more contrary to their values, both the IOC and FIFA will not have the courage to protect their product. Money talks after all and the USA is the most lucrative sporting market in the world.
As a sport Idealist I cannot count the number of instances where powerful organisations like the IOC and FIFA have failed to uphold their responsibilities to protect their sport movement. Donald Trump will be allowed to embarrass everyone by accepting Gold Medals and make ridiculous speeches while human beings are abused and killed both domestically and abroad. The controlling bodies will look the other way and if anything placate the monsters that perpetrate these abuses.
The IOC and FIFA will make their money. A very small fraction of these earnings will be put back into sport development while their respective empires build and their so called ‘volunteer governors’ enrich themselves in so many ways there isn’t a blog long enough to describe the ways in which this is done.
So do you think these events should go ahead? Feel free to comment and I ill do my best to respond.
Minno's World of Sport 