A World Cup Divided: Trump and 2026

The Athletic FC Podcast

In Los Angeles, California, four nations collided in a football tournament with an inescapable geopolitical backdrop.

Canada, Mexico and Panama have all found themselves in the crosshairs of President Donald Trump within his first 100 days in office, and they all met, with the US, in the Nations League finals.

Adam Leventhal has been looking into what happens when the sport and politics are thrust together like this speaking with the players, stakeholders and fans to find out how they feel about the various subplots surrounding this tournament and the 2026 World Cup.

How do the co-hosts put on a united front when so much of the talk is of division?

Host: Adam Leventhal

Exec Prod: Abi Paterson

Featuring audio from: The Daily, The Headlines, CBS, NBC, CSPAN, ESPN

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