Adam Minter, Columnist

The White House Just Kicked a World Cup Own-Goal

President Trump started a trade war that could undermine some of the long-term benefits of one of the biggest sports events in the world.

April 19, 2025 at 12:00 PM UTC

By Adam Minter

Adam Minter is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering the business of sports. He is the author, most recently, of “Secondhand: Travels in the New Global Garage Sale."

An avoidable own-goal.
Photographer: Ashley Allen/Getty Images South America

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A day at the soccer pitch should offer a nice distraction from trade wars and tariff talk. Next year’s FIFA World Cup, to be jointly hosted by Canada, Mexico and the US, will test that theory. Can the US, in particular, stage a successful tournament that attracts fans from around the world? Or will tensions, tariffs and deportations alienate visitors and businesses?

President Donald Trump certainly sees nothing but opportunity ahead for one of the world’s biggest sporting events. "Tension is a good thing," he recently said, when asked about the tournament in the Oval Office. "It makes it much more exciting."