Investigating claim FIFA is moving World Cup games from U.S. to Canada over Trump's immigration policies

In July 2025, social media users circulated a rumor claiming FIFA was considering relocating 2026 World Cup matches scheduled for the United States to Canada. The rumor, shared on platforms including Facebook, Instagram, Threads, TikTok, and X, suggested this potential move was due to concerns over U.S. President Donald Trump's strict immigration policies.

Fact-checking searches conducted on major search engines (Bing, DuckDuckGo, Google, Yahoo) and reviews of reporting by news outlets (The Associated Press, CNN, Fox News, The Washington Post) found no credible evidence supporting the claim that FIFA was canceling or planning to move U.S.-hosted matches. The rumor was identified as false or unfounded, with some posts potentially utilizing AI tools. FIFA was contacted for comment on the rumor's accuracy, but no update was provided at the time of writing.

While searches found relevant news concerning Trump's policies and the 2026 World Cup, none confirmed the central claim about FIFA relocating games to Canada or Mexico. Context included: FIFA President Gianni Infantino meeting with Trump at the White House in March 2025, where Trump reportedly reaffirmed support for the tournaments; a request in April 2025 by U.S. Senator Ron Wyden for the Trump administration to reconsider policies affecting travelers, citing upcoming events like the World Cup; and a May 2025 report where Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem warned World Cup visitors about visa compliance but also expressed confidence in smooth documentation processes.

Additionally, in May 2025, Human Rights Watch sent a letter to Infantino expressing "grave concerns" about Trump's immigration policies and urging FIFA to be prepared to reconsider the hosting decision if fan and player safety couldn't be guaranteed. Other reports mentioned concerns about visa wait times and European travel advisories for the U.S. Despite these discussions, no reports substantiated the rumor about FIFA moving games out of the U.S.