Fifa World Cup 2026: French government not in favour of tournament boycott over Donald Trump’s Greenland threats

Meanwhile, International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Kirsty Coventry said she hopes next month’s Winter Olympics in Italy can demonstrate the “unifying effect” of sport at a time of geopolitical tension.

US vice-president JD Vance is set to lead the US delegation at the opening ceremony of the Milan-Cortina Games on 6 February.

“We will work extremely hard in order to protect the Olympic Games and the platform that the Olympic Games has, because I think it showcases how we could live,” Coventry said at a media briefing on Wednesday.

“You’re going to have over 90 national Olympic committees taking part, all respecting each other, all having some way of understanding each other, and a bond because they’ve all walked their own paths in getting there – and they haven’t been smooth paths. As an athlete, you go through ups and downs and that’s the incredible thing about sport, the unifying effect that it has. Those, especially in today’s world, are values that we need to ensure we are protecting.”

The next Summer Olympics will be in the US in 2028, with Los Angeles hosting.

Coventry said all the conversations with the organisers had been “very positive” to date, despite concerns over the polarised political climate in the US under Trump.

However, she also admitted she is yet to establish formal communications with Trump on preparations for the Games.

US authorities have promised a welcoming World Cup. But the European Democratic Party (EDP) has warned it may ask national football federations to consider pulling out of the tournament if safety guarantees for European visitors are not forthcoming.

World Cup 2026 ticket holders can now access priority visa appointments for travel to the United States, but doubt remains whether fans from every country to have qualified will be able to enter, because of travel bans that have been issued.