Can Trump sell the MAGA crowd on soccer with the World Cup?

Mar 16, 2026, 10:10 AM en source ↗
US Politics

Summary

Donald Trump has long aligned himself with sports seen as culturally coded for the right, such as MMA and professional wrestling, but his enthusiastic embrace of the 2026 FIFA World Cup — co-hosted by the US — presents a cultural paradox. Soccer has traditionally been viewed with suspicion by parts of the American right as a foreign, cosmopolitan sport, at odds with MAGA identity. Analysts question whether Trump can leverage his political brand to shift his base's attitude toward a game he now champions.

Preview

Donald Trump has mobilized around right-wing coded sports like MMA and wrestling, but his soccer World Cup push is a cultural clash.

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