Welcome to the United States, World Cup fans … Psych!

Good news – World Cup will be played in the United States for the first time in 32 years.

Bad news – World Cup will be played in the United States for the first time in 32 years.

But hey, if you wanted to visit a U.S. World Cup city for something other than soccer in the next month, you’ve got a better chance at getting a hotel room than you did a few weeks ago. A reported 70% of rooms previously blocked off have been canceled in the run-up to the tournament.

Despite a history of corruption that found a bosom buddy in USA 2026, soccer fans have been able to mostly ignore Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) while it hypes the biggest World Cup in history (39 days, 48 teams, 104 matches, 16 stadia, three countries: U.S., Canada and Mexico).

Billions of loyal and fringe fans throughout the world are expected to watch the quadrennial event on TV and other media. At a time when people seem to have trouble agreeing on anything, they will collectively cheer on teams and players. So if you’re new to the game, know that soccer, or fútbol, as a sport, is strong. Interest only grows worldwide. It’s leadership and organizational ills that continue to create what USA Today reporter Jon Arnold called FIFA Fatigue.

U.S. Welcome Mat is MIA

The 2026 edition of World Cup kicks off during one of the most contentious periods in U.S. history. There are travel bans and visa issues; Somalia’s most revered referee, who’d already landed in Miami, was sent home despite having the required documents to enter the U.S. Select personnel are facing additional scrutiny, and in some cases, are being denied entry amid Washington, D.C.’s power push. Could FIFA have intervened? Sure, but FIFA has a “peace prize” to protect. Ahem.

Mix in outright travel bans, threats of deportation and fears tied to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) actions involving stadium workers and you get the cloud that hangs over the event. Oh, and exorbitant ticket and transportation prices … you can’t blame people for throwing up their arms and criticizing a country that was once the envy of others.

PR Problem Magnified

It’s unfortunate. Sad, really. World Cup could have provided a huge PR boost for the United States. Instead, people who planned to travel are staying home to avoid the risk of expulsion. Some have said they don’t want to spend their hard-earned money in the U.S. Let that sink in.

Most in the U.S. were taught that their country was a “melting pot” — a mix of people from different backgrounds who welcomed visitors and immigrants. Unfortunately, today’s leadership goes to great lengths to turn more deserving people away than welcome them, even for the world’s biggest sports event. We in the U.S. will cross our fingers and hope for peaceful and joyous turnouts, and mostly turn our focus to the pitch. Leadership’s ugliness won’t be far from our minds, though. Athletes deserve better.

But wait — more good news: Americans have the power to return the country to a welcoming place to live and work. It will take time, but the U.S. can be more hospitable as it prepares to host the 2028 Olympics. Have a cocktail and discuss how to do that with friends. There should be plenty of seats at the hotel bar.

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PR SIDEeffects: Discrimination, which is rooted in ignorance rather than justifiable danger, most always leads to lost wages, stunted cultural growth and lingering business losses. It drains organizations that spend years building goodwill. The United States is experiencing this very PR problem during World Cup and beyond.

When leaders set poor precedent in business, it trickles down and innocent people take the hit. If you care about your constituents — your audience, buyers, and fans — examine your actions closely because signals are there. Then change.

(MORE) 👇🏼

🏀 Remembering Stacey King (I’m still WTHing when writing that)

I was stunned, shocked … saddened to learn that beloved TV analyst and former NBA and college legend Stacey King died last weekend. He was a special human — one of the warmest, most considerate people I’ve ever worked with. He had an irreplaceable wit to boot. The Athletic’s Jon Greenberg called him human hot sauce. Spot on.

Thinking about Stacey’s Chicago Bulls TV partner, Adam Amin and all who loved him. May all of us find the joy in life that Stacey lived with and shared each day.

AI Disclaimer — SIDEbar is written by a human for humans. Em dashes and ellipses are and have forever been my own. — gail

©2026 Gail Sideman; gpublicity.com; SIDEbar

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