The first two weeks of the 2026 FIFA World Cup have gone about as smoothly as organizers could have hoped, with packed stadiums, few major disruptions, and a visible boost to America’s standing on the world stage.
That has put some Democrats in an awkward position after months of warning that President Donald Trump’s involvement in the tournament’s preparations could turn the event into a political liability, writes Politico.
In the run-up to the tournament, Democrats raised concerns about high ticket prices, public funding gaps, and the administration’s treatment of international visitors. Some local officials in host regions echoed those criticisms before shifting to a more supportive posture once the games began. New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill have both publicly embraced the event.
Rep. Brendan Boyle, a Pennsylvania Democrat, went further, praising the tournament’s early execution. Boyle wrote on Twitter that the United States had delivered a “remarkable success” and said he would “do everything I can to get the World Cup back here as soon as possible.”
In an interview with Politico, Boyle called the tournament “a great moment, actually devoid of politics,” adding that it would be better to keep politics out of it.
“I’m excited about the U.S. hosting the World Cup, how well that it has gone, how receptive these foreign fan bases have been to finding out more about the United States and interacting with ordinary Americans,” Boyle said.
Boyle was careful to separate his praise for the event from the Trump administration.
“Let me be clear, my comments are irrespective of the Trump administration,” he said. “Frankly, his immigration policies for the last year and a half did scare some people off from coming to the United States. The credit goes to the local host committees.”
Rob Flaherty, a Democratic digital strategist who attended the U.S. group-stage match against Australia, acknowledged that some on the left had expected the tournament to stumble.
“I think that there was a little bit of like liberal wishcasting that this would maybe be a disaster to sort of stick it to Trump,” Flaherty said. “It hasn’t yet been.”
The tournament’s strong start has not ended the political arguments surrounding the World Cup. But it has made it harder for critics to portray the event as a failure, at least so far.
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