No evidence behind rumours FIFA moving World Cup games from U.S. to Canada

Argentina's Nicolas Gonzalez, top, attempts a shot on goal challenged by Colombia's Davinson Sanchez during a qualifying soccer match for the FIFA World Cup 2026 at the Monumental stadium in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Tuesday, June 10, 2025. Rumours that FIFA is moving some scheduled World Cup games from the United States to Canada circulated online in July and August, but there's no evidence to support the claims. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP-Gustavo Garello

In July and August, online rumours suggested organizers of the 2026 FIFA World Cup planned to relocate games from the United States to Canada amid U.S. President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown.

While some advocacy groups urged FIFA to ask the U.S. government to reverse its recent immigration measures, FIFA did not commit to doing so, nor did it move any games to Canada.

THE CLAIM

As Canada joins the United States and Mexico in hosting the 2026 FIFA World Cup, rumours are circulating online about the impact U.S. immigration measures could have on next year’s cup schedule.

“Canada TAKES U.S. spot as FIFA RELOCATES World Cup Matches - Billions in Revenue LOST” reads the caption on an Aug. 14 TikTok with more than 100,000 plays.

The video mentions U.S. President Donald Trump’s travel ban imposed on 12 countries in June and various visa restrictions as possible reasons FIFA is supposedly considering relocating World Cup games to Canada.

A YouTube video with a similar title earned around 192,000 views. Both the YouTube and TikTok video bear signs they were generated with the help of artificial intelligence.

A similar claim about FIFA moving World Cup games over immigration concerns appeared as a July 16 Instagram post with more than 435,000 likes. It was reposted on Aug. 24 to X, formerly Twitter, receiving around 41,000 likes.

THE FACTS

A quick Google search shows there is no announcement from FIFA about moving U.S. World Cup games to Canada.

FIFA’s official match schedule shows Canada is set to host 13 games: seven in Vancouver and six in Toronto. The schedule in August matches both the schedule in June, as captured by the Wayback Machine, as well as the schedule shown in FIFA’s announcement video from February 2024.

As soccer’s governing body responsible for organizing the World Cup, FIFA faces pressure from international and U.S.-based advocacy groups to address human rights concerns arising from Trump’s immigration crackdown.

On July 1, the Miami Herald reported local activists organized outside FIFA’s legal office in Coral Gables, Fla. urged FIFA to keep Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials out of the games.

In a joint letter published the same day, 90 U.S. civil society organizations urged FIFA “use its influence” and ask the U.S. government to uphold the rights of foreign visitors and U.S. residents during the 2025 Club World Cup and 2026 men’s World Cup.

Human Rights Watch wrote to FIFA president Gianni Infantino in May, asking that FIFA publicly acknowledge “the threat U.S. immigration policies pose to the tournament’s integrity” and urge the U.S. government to change its immigration policies that may affect players and fans.

FIFA did not directly respond to the issues Human Rights Watch raised in its letter, including travel bans, visa restrictions, and the detention and deportation of non-citizens and legal U.S. residents by ICE.

“FIFA is committed … in ensuring respect for human rights in matters linked to any of its activities,” the organization wrote in response.

It said it expects host countries “take measures to ensure that any eligible persons who are involved in the competition are able to enter the respective countries.”

Politico, citing an unnamed industry official, reported in May that FIFA president Infantino said privately he was “amused” at press reports of a World Cup summit attended by Trump that questioned whether the United States would relax its strict border rules for World Cup fans.

The Canadian Press reached out to FIFA for comment and will update this fact check if it receives a response.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 28, 2025.

Marissa Birnie, The Canadian Press