Can the US host the World Cup while shutting out the Middle East?

In March 2023, FIFA moved with remarkable speed. Indonesia lost the right to host the Under-20 World Cup after political opposition emerged to Israel’s participation, a team that had qualified on merit. The governing body’s message was unmistakable: footballers must not become collateral damage in geopolitical disputes. Players had done nothing wrong. Discrimination against a qualified team was incompatible with the spirit and rules of the game. Few would disagree with that principle. The deeper question is whether FIFA is prepared to apply it consistently. Three years later, world football is heading towards its largest-ever World Cup, hosted primarily by the United States. Yet a growing body of evidence suggests that players, officials, journalists and supporters from Muslim-majority countries have […]