World Cup: U.S. Values Sustainability, Doubts Transparency

The FIFA men's soccer World Cup 2026 is drawing nearer, kicking off on June 11 in Mexico City and hosting games in 11 U.S., three Mexican and two Canadian cities. While Americans are not very enthusiastic about attending the event – not even when compared to overseas visitors – those who know the competition still have relatively strong opinions about its impact and ethical practices.

A majority of respondents to a Statista survey say it is important to them that an event like the World Cup promotes sustainability and social responsibility. A high 44 percent additionally say they do not trust FIFA to manage transparency and fairness accordingly.

Among respondents knowing the World Cup, 39 percent say that World Cup sponsors are in their good books, a fairly good result for a nation which is not known for being made up of too many soccer enthusiasts. Around a third of Americans say they believe betting on a major event like the World Cup makes gambling more acceptable. Around the same share say that political issues are shaping how they see the event.