World Cup 2026 | Boycott and Political Issues | Will you Boycott it?

Will you boycott this World Cup?

  • Yes

    Votes: 115 29.0%

  • No

    Votes: 126 31.8%

  • I'll watch important games / my team

    Votes: 88 22.2%

  • I'll watch the final

    Votes: 10 2.5%

  • Eboue

    Votes: 44 11.1%

  • Undecided

    Votes: 43 10.9%
  • Total voters
    396
calodo2003 said:
That's the whole point, the game has devolved into a three point chuck, dunk, & clearout cesspool. No real defense is played, there's zone defense, it is totally geared towards offense. Some people like that side, but I would guess the majority of people who enjoyed the NBA in the 90s to mid 00s find this particular flavor of basketball unappealing.
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A sort of reverse Arsenal then!
 
I'm not sure if I'm boycotting at this point, or just genuinely uninterested in what is set to be the most pathetic world cup in my lifetime.
 
What would the singer, choir and video montage look like for the 2026 version? Wrong answers only, I sprained my ankle playing football and need to laugh:

 
Al Jazeera reports that Ahmad Donyamali, Iran’s sports minister, says the country cannot participate in this year’s FIFA World Cup, co-hosted by the US, Canada and Mexico.

“Considering that this corrupt ⁠regime has ⁠assassinated our leader, under no circumstances ⁠can we ⁠participate in ⁠the World Cup,” he has said.
 
Ahmer Baig said:
Al Jazeera reports that Ahmad Donyamali, Iran’s sports minister, says the country cannot participate in this year’s FIFA World Cup, co-hosted by the US, Canada and Mexico.

“Considering that this corrupt ⁠regime has ⁠assassinated our leader, under no circumstances ⁠can we ⁠participate in ⁠the World Cup,” he has said.
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Would love for bigger nations to join in
 
NotChatGPT said:
Would love for bigger nations to join in
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Would never happen but I would very much enjoy the World Cup to not go ahead or there would be like 5 teams in it.
Maybe the US would win then and trump could take the trophy home with him. Could put it on the shelf next to the fifa peace prize.
 
Boo, they shouldn't have said anything and just not shown up, causing maximum financial and reputational damage to the Epstein cup.

It's one thing to just want some football to watch in the summer but I'm still seeing too many people imbuing this tournament with a sense of prestige that is completely unwarranted. You're going to be shaking the same hand that punched a 13 year old.
 
Donald Trump said Thursday that Iran should not participate in the upcoming World Cup in North America, just days after telling Fifa’s chief they would be welcome despite the Middle East war.

“The Iran national soccer team is welcome to the World Cup, but I really don’t believe it is appropriate that they be there, for their own life and safety,” the US president said on his Truth Social platform.

The comments came two days after Fifa president Gianni Infantino said he had received assurances from Trump that Iran would be welcome at the tournament, which the United States is co-hosting with Mexico and Canada.

https://www.theguardian.com/football/2026/mar/12/donald-trump-iran-status-world-cup

 
Hopefully Spain boycotts then some other countries might grow some balls and follow suit. Sucks for the players and staff but I really hope this world cup is a huge failure.
 
Unrelated to the boycott but I actually queued up for over 3 hours for tickets just out of interest. Just left a browser opened on the side. Anyway I got in and loads available, including semi final tickets. Category 2 at a whopping $2700 and Cat 1 $3600. Madness.

Group stage games Cat 1/ Cat 2 ranging from $500-$750.

For comparison I went to Qatar and saw 6 group stage games. Cat 1 and Cat 2. All for around £1k.
 
Andy_Cole said:
Unrelated to the boycott but I actually queued up for over 3 hours for tickets just out of interest. Just left a browser opened on the side. Anyway I got in and loads available, including semi final tickets. Category 2 at a whopping $2700 and Cat 1 $3600. Madness.

Group stage games Cat 1/ Cat 2 ranging from $500-$750.

For comparison I went to Qatar and saw 6 group stage games. Cat 1 and Cat 2. All for around £1k.
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Trump has taught them all, including FIFA, that price gouging is ok people will pay it
 
Lots of ICE in JFK a couple of days ago. Wonder how will this work during the world cup.
 
I’ll watch the final. Not really interested in the rest.
 
I am at a stage where I will not only be boycotting but will genuinely lose all respect for any person who goes out to the USA to attend it.

After the fuss about the last world cup as well. This one is directly endorsing a racist paedophile as well as a country that likes bombing schools full of little girls and threatening the entire planet.

If you're planning to just ignore that because of a football game you need to grow up and have a word with yourself, frankly
 
Andy_Cole said:
Unrelated to the boycott but I actually queued up for over 3 hours for tickets just out of interest. Just left a browser opened on the side. Anyway I got in and loads available, including semi final tickets. Category 2 at a whopping $2700 and Cat 1 $3600. Madness.

Group stage games Cat 1/ Cat 2 ranging from $500-$750.

For comparison I went to Qatar and saw 6 group stage games. Cat 1 and Cat 2. All for around £1k.
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Wasn't part of their original proposal when they were tendering for the competition that the maximum price for a ticket to the final would be around $1k?

And now they're selling tickets at $10k and Infantino is too busy gobbling down on Trumps knob, and wanking into a handful of dollar bills, to even acknowledge that fans have been completely priced out of the tournament.

Sepp Blatter was corrupt as feck but at least he sort of cared about the sport. Infantino is somehow worse than him.
 
Mr Pigeon said:
Wasn't part of their original proposal when they were tendering for the competition that the maximum price for a ticket to the final would be around $1k?

And now they're selling tickets at $10k and Infantino is too busy gobbling down on Trumps knob, and wanking into a handful of dollar bills, to even acknowledge that fans have been completely priced out of the tournament.

Sepp Blatter was corrupt as feck but at least he sort of cared about the sport. Infantino is somehow worse than him.
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Its not even about the sport anymore is it? He's cosied up to Trump and made it about politics, which nullifies any "football and politics should not intermix" counter arguments.

We have a world cup being hosted by a country that is actively murdering citizens of one of the countries that will be playing in it, and the organisers of the world cup have awarded the person directly responsible with a peace prize, which they made up just to give to him.

It is, genuinely, completely and utterly pathetic. It shouldn't be going ahead at all because it should be the nations competing boycotting it.
 
noodlehair said:
Its not even about the sport anymore is it? He's cosied up to Trump and made it about politics, which nullifies any "football and politics should not intermix" counter arguments.

We have a world cup being hosted by a country that is actively murdering citizens of one of the countries that will be playing in it, and the organisers of the world cup have awarded the person directly responsible with a peace prize, which they made up just to give to him.

It is, genuinely, completely and utterly pathetic. It shouldn't be going ahead at all because it should be the nations competing boycotting it.
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Yeah, it's just offensive at this point. What is football's identity at this point? Any veil of it being the ultimate "sport" has been eroded at this point by some dickhead who came into power of the game when it was already at it's peak. He's done feck all except exploit it further than the leeches that have been hanging on to it, especially these last couple of decades.

Football used to be accessible to everyone, and it was a respite. I could hate you as a person but if you're a United fan I'm buying you a pint. One of my best work friends supports Leeds and another is a Villa supporting Brummie. Football is the easiest thing to talk about.

But shit like this? Qatar was bad but, feck me... Trump is a psycho dictator surrounded by idiots. And if you don't conform to their standards; who knows at this point but I wouldn't put imprisonment past them. If you can even afford to go and enjoy what will be the propaganda spectacular of the century.

And like you say; bombs from the host nation will be killing children when the tournament is going on. That is definitely the most sickening thing about this entire showcase of sycophantic, rich boy bullshit.
 
Mr Pigeon said:
Yeah, it's just offensive at this point. What is football's identity at this point? Any veil of it being the ultimate "sport" has been eroded at this point by some dickhead who came into power of the game when it was already at it's peak. He's done feck all except exploit it further than the leeches that have been hanging on to it, especially these last couple of decades.

Football used to be accessible to everyone, and it was a respite. I could hate you as a person but if you're a United fan I'm buying you a pint. One of my best work friends supports Leeds and another is a Villa supporting Brummie. Football is the easiest thing to talk about.

But shit like this? Qatar was bad but, feck me... Trump is a psycho dictator surrounded by idiots. And if you don't conform to their standards; who knows at this point but I wouldn't put imprisonment past them. If you can even afford to go and enjoy what will be the propaganda spectacular of the century.

And like you say; bombs from the host nation will be killing children when the tournament is going on. That is definitely the most sickening thing about this entire showcase of sycophantic, rich boy bullshit.
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There will be protests at the world cup as well, and it will not end well, but it will just not be reported on, or people will ignore it because it is more important to watch Austria vs Jordan than to have basic principles/morals. Just bizarre to me and hopefully I am proven wrong about it as it comes more into focus.

Thing is I'm not usually for this boycott/lets all be outraged stuff but there is a line where what is going on becomes more important and its not even about wanting to make a point or protest, its about what you can stomach as a human being with basic morals.
 
I‘m not watching, I‘m disgusted with Fifa, Infantino and Trump. A peace prize for Trump who‘s bombing Iran without justification, you can’t make this shit up.

I‘m genuinely disgusted my country isn‘t boycotting the WC.
 
noodlehair said:
I am at a stage where I will not only be boycotting but will genuinely lose all respect for any person who goes out to the USA to attend it.

After the fuss about the last world cup as well. This one is directly endorsing a racist paedophile as well as a country that likes bombing schools full of little girls and threatening the entire planet.

If you're planning to just ignore that because of a football game you need to grow up and have a word with yourself, frankly
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This, a hundred times this.
 
I really hope people don't boycott the whole thing. Let them fill the stadiums in Mexico and Canada, but ignore the USA games. That would be a beautiful contrast. Not likely to happen, but one can dream...
 
stefan92 said:
I really hope people don't boycott the whole thing. Let them fill the stadiums in Mexico and Canada, but ignore the USA games. That would be a beautiful contrast. Not likely to happen, but one can dream...
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It‘s not just the US, it is also Fifa with their ridiculous pricing. The game is getting destroyed.
 
Russia, Qatar, Trumptopia hosting. Years of open corruption and politicking by Fifa. Pricing fans out of matches and sanatising the atmosphere. The way it's going, it will end up as a glorified exhibition series within a generation.
 
noodlehair said:
I am at a stage where I will not only be boycotting but will genuinely lose all respect for any person who goes out to the USA to attend it.

After the fuss about the last world cup as well. This one is directly endorsing a racist paedophile as well as a country that likes bombing schools full of little girls and threatening the entire planet.

If you're planning to just ignore that because of a football game you need to grow up and have a word with yourself, frankly
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I agree but so many will argue that we just need to think about the football. Just like with MG. Not for me, I hope that it’s a complete failure because FIFA need to be taught a lesson too. Football is about the people not about corporate donors and backhanders
 
stefan92 said:
I really hope people don't boycott the whole thing. Let them fill the stadiums in Mexico and Canada, but ignore the USA games. That would be a beautiful contrast. Not likely to happen, but one can dream...
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FIFA decisions need to be challenged and best way is to hit their viewing figures so they won’t do it again
 
stefan92 said:
I really hope people don't boycott the whole thing. Let them fill the stadiums in Mexico and Canada, but ignore the USA games. That would be a beautiful contrast. Not likely to happen, but one can dream...
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Mexico isn’t any better. The scummy Cartel probably own most of the hotels that the fans are going to stay in.
 
Bojan11 said:
Mexico isn’t any better. The scummy Cartel probably own most of the hotels that the fans are going to stay in.
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Maybe it is a cynical view I have here but I am quite sure that even the cartels just want to make money of it and wouldn't care about where the fans are coming from and wouldn't be interested in making their life unnecessary difficult. Because that would be bad for business.

The USA however with their ongoing disruptions in air traffic, airport controls etc don't appear as a welcoming host to me and I doubt they fix that until the World Cup starts.
 
stefan92 said:
Maybe it is a cynical view I have here but I am quite sure that even the cartels just want to make money of it and wouldn't care about where the fans are coming from and wouldn't be interested in making their life unnecessary difficult. Because that would be bad for business.

The USA however with their ongoing disruptions in air traffic, airport controls etc don't appear as a welcoming host to me and I doubt they fix that until the World Cup starts.
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I don't think it's all that cynical. I don't have experience with Mexican cartels, but the town I grew up in had a significant Ndrangheta presence. The only thing you'd notice, even during the time where they clashed with the Albanian mafia trying to expand into their turf, was that the town had an abnormally high number of excellent Italian restaurants and gelaterias. They had no interest in rocking the boat and hurting their businesses and drawing attention to themselves if they could help it.

Like you, I think the US government and its agents are way more likely to be actively malicious and messing with random visitors.
 
Similar to the last world cup, I will stream the final and maybe a couple of other games, but that's it. The magic of World Cup where I watched every match is over for me.
 
G3079 said:
They had no interest in rocking the boat and hurting their businesses and drawing attention to themselves if they could help it.
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Fits my experience with them. Had a project once which after it was done turned out to be money laundering for the Ndrangheta. Was our only construction project in Italy that had all paperwork complete and in time needed for us to proceed...
 
Saying some hotels have cut prices by a third from earlier this year on tepid interest.

US hotels slash summer room rates as World Cup demand falls short​

Vijay Dandapani, president of the Hotel Association of New York City, said he could “categorically say we haven’t seen much of a meaningful boost yet . . . It’s possible we will get some more demand, but at this point it certainly will not be the cornucopia that Fifa was promising.”
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https://www.ft.com/content/7fd5e051-f45a-48e9-85f1-047a7defd7ab?syn-25a6b1a6=1

As an aside, the piece quotes tourism expert A.Ryan, whose name has a certain ring to it.

https://www.tourismeconomics.com/about/staff/aran-ryan/
 
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