Calls Mount to Strip U.S. of 2026 World Cup Hosting After Venezuela Strikes.
According to the Libyan News website, global pressure to cancel the US hosting of the 2026 World Cup has intensified after the military operation in Venezuela and Donald Trump’s official announcement that Nicolas Maduro and his wife were arrested following the US military’s massive attack on Venezuela.
According to the publication, many countries and social media users have called for the US to cancel the hosting of the 2026 World Cup and even boycott the Los Angeles Olympics.
Libyan News added: Protests have been raised around the world against US policies, and calls for FIFA and the International Olympic Committee to punish the country have intensified.
On the night of January 3, US President Donald Trump announced that the US military had carried out a massive airstrike on Venezuela and had arrested President Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, and transferred them to the US.
Hours later, US Attorney General Pamela Bondi announced on social media that formal charges had been filed against Maduro and Flores and that they would soon be tried in the Southern District of New York.
According to the report, the reaction of Venezuela’s neighboring countries and other South American governments to this US action was very strong, and in addition to political criticism, a wave of calls to revoke the right to host the 2026 World Cup from the US and even to exclude the country’s national team from participating in the competition has been launched.
According to Libya News, many football fans and officials from South American countries called for a boycott of the matches, and a campaign to cancel the US hosting of the World Cup was launched on social media and gained thousands of supporters in just a few hours.
Libya News, noting that similar voices have been heard from different continents, added: Social media users have asked FIFA and the International Olympic Committee why they have remained silent in the face of the US actions and why American athletes are still allowed to participate in international competitions under the flag of the country.
The 2026 World Cup is scheduled to be held from June 11 to July 19 in the United States, Canada, and Mexico, and out of the 16 host cities, 11 are in the United States, and 78 of the total 104 matches of the tournament will be held in the country.
The report noted that changing the host location of the World Cup in less than 6 months is very difficult, but many believe that in the current situation, we cannot talk about a “world football festival.”
According to Libya News, social media is full of messages calling for the cancellation of the US hosting, and as an example, we can mention a number of them, including the user @VickiSalvador, who wrote: “Cancel the Los Angeles Olympics! Cancel the World Cup in the United States! “The world must condemn US actions against Venezuela.”