The 2026 World Cup is Under the Shadow of the US Geopolitical Conflict

World geopolitics in 2026 heated up immediately following the United States' attack on the capital of Venezuela, Caracas, on Saturday (3/1/2026). Under the pretext of national security against cross-border drug trafficking, the U.S. apprehended Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.

This situation raises concerns in the international community regarding its impact on global geopolitical stability. Moreover, U.S. President Donald Trump has also issued threats to several countries, such as Mexico, Colombia, Cuba, Iran, and Greenland.

One of the concerns is its impact on the organization of the 2026 World Cup. The World Cup will commence on June 11, 2026, and conclude with the final match on July 19, 2026.

This year's World Cup is considered special because it is being held for the first time in three countries, namely the United States, Mexico, and Canada. Additionally, this World Cup is the first to feature 48 countries, an increase from the previous 32 countries.

The tension that arose following the arrest of the President of Venezuela is feared to affect security during the upcoming World Cup. Moreover, the United States is considered one of the important hosts in the organization of the 2026 World Cup.

The "Uncle Sam" country is also trusted to host the summit party on July 19, 2026, which will take place at the New York New Jersey Stadium. This designation will certainly attract the attention of the international community, making security a primary concern.

Conflicts and threats are also likely to occur in Mexico, a country specifically mentioned by Trump as a threat due to drug-related issues similar to Venezuela. Mexico is one of the hosts for several important matches in the group stage, round of 32, and round of 16. In fact, the opening match will be held in Mexico, featuring the host team Mexico against South Africa on June 11, 2026.

The status of the host and organizer of the opening match will certainly impact the crowds in Mexico. In addition, Mexico will also be the center of global attention during the opening event of the 2026 World Cup. The potential for conflict must be thoroughly anticipated amid the ongoing political tensions.

The organization of the World Cup amid the potential for conflict, even war, is not the first occurrence in history. In several instances, the World Cup has continued to take place amidst ongoing conflicts between nations.

One of the events held amidst conflict was the 1938 World Cup in France. At that time, France was appointed as the host for the third time. The implementation of this World Cup was marked by security threats, especially following the attack carried out by Germany against Austria.

Germany invaded Austria in March 1938, while the World Cup was held in June 1938. This meant that the World Cup in Europe was held just three months after Germany's invasion of Austria. In modern history, this invasion is known as the "Anschluss," which describes Germany's annexation of Austria.

This situation had a significant impact on the implementation of the World Cup. Austria, which was supposed to be one of the 16 participating teams, was forced to withdraw due to the German invasion. Sweden, which was scheduled to meet Austria, was declared the winner. Meanwhile, Germany still participated but was eliminated in the first match after being defeated by Switzerland. Despite being marked by tension and the threat of widespread war, the 1938 World Cup was still held, resulting in Italy being crowned as the world champion.

The World Cup ultimately had to be completely canceled due to the World War. In 1942, Germany and Brazil, competing as potential hosts, had to abandon their intentions because of the ongoing war. The same was true for the 1946 World Cup. Although the war had ended in 1945, the tight preparation time forced the World Cup to be postponed once again. After the war, the World Cup was finally held in 1950 in Brazil.

Not stopping there, the next World Cup was still held amid tensions between countries. The tension that was widely reported by international media occurred during the 1974 World Cup in West Germany. At that time, Germany was divided into West Germany and East Germany. These two countries were involved in tensions due to ideological and political factors following the end of World War II.

The implementation of the World Cup in West Germany at that time was also marked by concerns. The tensions that had persisted for nearly three decades were feared to impact security aspects. Moreover, West Germany and East Germany were in the same group.

Amid these concerns, the implementation of the World Cup proceeded as expected. In fact, there were several surprises that caused a stir in the news at that time. One of them was when West Germany, as the host, was defeated by East Germany in the group stage.

Despite losing as the host nation, West Germany still advanced alongside East Germany to the second phase. In fact, West Germany managed to continue progressing until they secured the world championship title for the second time.

Entering the 21st century, the World Cup cannot be separated from inter-state conflicts. For instance, during the 2002 World Cup, Japan and South Korea, both of which held the status of World Cup hosts, experienced tensions prior to the event's execution.

In 2001, or about 10 months before the World Cup, Japan and South Korea were involved in political tensions. This occurred because Japan refused to revise its history textbooks. At that time, South Korea, along with China, requested Japan to amend the history books as they were deemed to not accurately convey the tragedies related to the invasions carried out by Japan during World War II.

As a result of this situation, diplomatic relations between Japan and South Korea have become tense. South Korea even recalled its ambassador from Japan and halted military cooperation as a form of protest. Nevertheless, the implementation of the World Cup continues amidst the dispute between the two countries without any significant impact.

The next World Cup held amid conflict was when Russia was appointed as the host in 2018. Several countries at that time questioned the security of Russia following the conflict with Ukraine. As a solution, FIFA planned to separate the groups of Russia and Ukraine in the event they qualified for the World Cup finals. However, concerns gradually faded after Ukraine failed to qualify for the 2018 finals, having been eliminated in the qualifying round.

If we look at the organization of previous World Cups, it appears that this quadrennial event continues to take place amidst various potential conflicts that arise. Security threats that have been a concern have also been successfully anticipated.

As the 2026 World Cup approaches, FIFA has stated that football fans around the world remain enthusiastic about welcoming this grand football festival. More than 500 million World Cup match tickets have been sold from December 11, 2025, to January 13, 2026.

The tickets sold come from 211 FIFA member countries. Football fans from the United States, Mexico, Canada, Germany, England, Brazil, Spain, Portugal, Argentina, and Colombia are the most numerous in ordering tickets for the 2026 World Cup matches.

"FIFA expresses its gratitude to football fans around the world for this extraordinary response," said FIFA President Gianni Infantino, as quoted from the FIFA website, Thursday (15/1/2026).

Half a billion tickets sold in one month is evidence of the world's public optimism regarding the organization of the 2026 World Cup amid the threat of war. Nevertheless, it remains interesting to continue to anticipate the preparations for the 2026 World Cup amidst the tensions occurring in the Americas.

Rumors have been heard that 16,800 World Cup match tickets have been canceled, Kompas.com reported (Thursday, January 15, 2026). Another threat is the US government's policy of restricting visa issuance to several countries.

Nevertheless, the World Cup timeline is a universal language that unites nations around the world in the spirit of sport. This quadrennial tournament has proven capable of transcending cultural and linguistic differences, uniting the world through the celebration of football. Hopefully, the 2026 World Cup can also quell global geopolitical conflicts and foster world peace. (KOMPAS LITBANG)