Scott Stinson: Will Trump derail the World Cup?
Probably not, but he might want the final played at Mar-A-Lago.
By: Scott Stinson
The draw for the FIFA World Cup will take place in the first week of December in Washington, D.C., with Donald Trump expected to be in attendance.
At which time we will find out if he muses about attacking either of the event’s co-hosts.
You might think that I am exaggerating for effect. I am not.
Here was Trump last week at the White House, asked if he intended to launch strikes or an invasion of Mexico to combat drug-trafficking:
“Would I do it? I’d be proud to,” he said.
He then went on a ramble about the scourge of drugs, ending with: “Let me just put it this way, I am not happy with Mexico. OK?”
OK. Great. Just a little light speculation about military action against an ally.
At the event that announced plans for World Cup ticket holders to get priority access for tourist visas to the United States — representatives from Canada and Mexico, the other tournament hosts, were mercifully not present — Trump also restated his intention to move World Cup matches out of cities he deems to be unsafe.
Seattle, for example, which recently elected a left-leaning mayor.
“If we think there is a problem in Seattle, where there is a liberal, communist mayor,” Trump began, and then looked over at the president of FIFA, Gianni Infantino, “Gianni, can I say we will move the event to somewhere it will be appreciated and safe?”
Infantino gave a non-answer about how safety is important, and also ticket sales are booming so everyone must feel that will not be a problem.
Trump later speculated about sending federal troops into Los Angeles, where he doesn’t like either the city’s mayor or the state’s governor, “we could be there in 24 hours and do a great job.”
Infantino had the expressionless face of a man who very much wanted this question-and-answer session to be over.
Normally, the hosting of a big sporting event has obvious benefits and drawbacks. The vibes will be great, and the costs will be much larger than expected. It’s part of the deal: host cities and countries spend vast sums to throw a short-term party of questionable long-term tourism benefit, and as long as no one thinks about the financials too much it’s easy to get swept up in the spectacle of the thing.
The World Cup is no different, but this particular World Cup has become awkward for reasons completely unrelated to soccer. It’s a like a street party in which two of the neighbours are terrified that the third is going to get drunk and ruin everything.
Trump is, of course, fighting with Canada and Mexico over issues both real and imagined, and there is no way to know what relations will be like when the matches begin in all three countries next June. This is the same guy who broke off all trade talks with Canada because he was furious about an Ontario-government ad that contained footage of Ronald Reagan saying he didn’t like tariffs. (Reagan very much did not like tariffs.) Who’s to say he won’t get in a snit about something else involving either of his co-hosts while the World Cup matches are being played? He’s not exactly known for giving something a sober second thought before reacting aggressively.
Part of the challenge for FIFA is that Trump has taken a particular shine to the World Cup, presumably because he has realized that it’s kind of a big deal. He essentially browbeat Infantino into holding the draw in Washington — it was originally planned for Las Vegas — and he keeps speaking about it as though it’s his personal plaything, like he can move matches around like pieces on a board game.
Infantino, a world-class ass-kisser who is possessed of a Trumpian ego himself, has evidently figured out that the best way to deal with the U.S. president is to flatter him, so he has created something called the FIFA Peace Prize, which will, to the surprise of absolutely no one, be awarded to Trump at the World Cup draw. Trump will say that it is a wonderful award, and fully deserved because of the all the wars he has ended, and frankly it’s much nicer than the Nobel Peace Prize, anyway. And then some missiles will be launched at a boat off the coast of Venezuela.
Trump probably won’t try to relocate any actual World Cup games — probably, I say again — for the simple reason that with ticket sales and corporate sponsorships already underway, a process that will accelerate once the draw is completed, it would be a logistical nightmare. But it’s also possible that someone will get in his ear and tell him that the final should be moved from New York to the lawns of Mar-a-Lago and he’ll wonder why that isn’t already the case.
In any case, there are real concerns over the potential arrival of tens of thousands of visitors from foreign nations, at a time when masked federal agents are rounding up anyone who looks like they might be from somewhere else at gunpoint. Trump and his Homeland Security boss keep saying that visitors from foreign lands will be welcome, minus those from nations whose citizens are banned from entry, but they sure don’t sound enthused about it.
Canada, as it happens, played Venezuela in Fort Lauderdale last week, and while it was just an exhibition match involving a Venezuelan team that had already been eliminated from World Cup qualification, the attendance at the home stadium of Miami’s MLS team was shockingly low. Three sides of the stadium were completely empty, and one reporter on scene guessed that there a few hundred fans in the one stand that was open. Exhibition matches in the U.S. involving teams from South and Latin America typically draw huge crowds, so much so that American players and coaches have complained about the hostile atmosphere they often face in home games, but here was a case of the Venezuelan diaspora avoiding a match entirely. Were they mad at the team? Worried about the possible presence of ICE agents? Maybe a little of both? If nothing else, it was a stark indicator that these are not normal times to be hosting big events in the United States.
Canada and Mexico, meanwhile, just have to sit and watch, and hope that their co-host doesn’t drink too much and knock over any tables.
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The problem I have with this situation is that international fans will likely avoid matches held in US in favour of those held in Canada and Mexico - driving up the resale ticket prices. These tickets are priced at two months of Toronto rent (at the lower end) right now. Soon they may be priced at half an annual median Toronto salary.
I don't think anyone will be surprised if attendance at these games is very low. Given that the US is turning people back at the border for incorrect thoughts let alone kidnapping people off the streets I think attendance will be much higher in Canada and Mexico. Also, good luck with the Olympics, USA, if you keep up this madness.