NYT: Don't Let Trump Destroy the World Cup

[SteveSanders]

Posted: 3/2/26 at 5:11pm

Excellent opinion piece by Simon Kupar of the Financial Times.  Gift Link.

EXCERPT:

I’ve never known Europeans — or a world — as anti-American as they are today. International opinions of the country have cratered since President Trump returned to office, and in Europe have hit record lows, according to the pollster YouGov. Mr. Trump is, after all, not only an American problem, but a global one: just look at his bombings, tariff bluster, threats to annex Greenland and Canada and his deadly slashing of global humanitarian aid. From the outside, it can feel like once-friendly America is nothing but MAGA.

Trump knows the World Cup will be an enormous media event, and probably won’t resist trying to make it all about him, commenting on the daily action or inserting himself into the spectacle. The tournament will coincide with his grandiose plans for America’s 250th anniversary. As he put it in the State of the Union: “I’ve got the 2026 FIFA World Cup, and I wanted to claim the 250th, but I didn’t get away with that one.”

[Jay Lerner-Z]

Posted: 3/3/26 at 6:43pm

Nice article, but I don't get how he forgot Qatar 2022.

A hellhole. The England team, supposed LGBT allies, ditched their rainbow armbands. The stadiums were built by literal slaves.

Nobody gave a sh!t.

As much as I loathe Trump, is the 2026 really that bad?

Updated On: 3/3/26 at 06:43 PM

[kdogg36]

Posted: 3/4/26 at 1:13am

Jay Lerner-Z said: "As much as I loathe Trump, is the 2026 really that bad?"

As I've come to say, Trump, Qatar, and Hitler are all obviously on the wrong side of any line I'd care to draw between good and evil, for any purpose.

[ACL2006]

Posted: 3/4/26 at 10:14am

Jay Lerner-Z said: "Nice article, but I don't get how he forgot Qatar 2022.

A hellhole. The England team, supposed LGBT allies, ditched their rainbow armbands. The stadiums were built by literal slaves.

Nobody gave a sh!t.

As much as I loathe Trump, is the 2026 really that bad?"

Curious to see if ICE will be stationed at each match as he's been saying he plans to do. More waste of tax payer money.