U.S. Men’s National Team (USMNT) veteran and current Fox soccer analyst Alexei Lalas believes that concerns over ICE raids could become a factor in whether foreign visitors travel to the U.S. for the World Cup.
In an interview with Adam Wren of Politico, Lalas, who is also a staunch supporter of President Trump, says that how foreign fans view U.S. immigration policy, even if those perceptions are incorrect, could “turn them off from taking that vacation through the World Cup, that is a problem.”
“Yeah. I mean, look at the perception that people have of where America is right now, as we’re talking about it, less than a year away from the World Cup. While I can disagree with that perception, it doesn’t mean that it’s not valid and it’s not out there in terms of the way people view the United States,” Lalas told Wren.
“If what they are seeing, what they are reading, turns them off from taking that vacation through the World Cup, that is a problem. I want to try to change that perception to the extent that I can. If you want to support your country and you want to support your team, and you pass the vetting process, you are going to have a wonderful time. And then hopefully that message is brought back, and so we can start to change some of that perception out there. But I’m not denying the fact that there are negative perceptions of what America is right now out there.”
To be clear, Lalas is not suggesting that the Trump administration change its immigration and deportation policies to suit the sensibilities of tourists, or criticizing that policy in any way, as some have suggested. Instead, it seems the former USMNT star is advocating for a robust public relations offensive to put at ease any concern on the part of would-be World Cup attendees by letting them know they won’t be targeted by immigration enforcement unless they are wanted for some crime, try to immigrate illegally, or commit a crime on U.S. soil.
The FIFA World Cup is set to take place in the summer of 2026. The games will be held in 16 cities in Canada, the United States, and Mexico.
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