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Remember back in 2018, when the United States, Canada and Mexico celebrated their successful bid to co-host the 2026 World Cup?

Now that the big event is less than a year away — and U.S. President Donald Trump has unleashed a tariff war on his country’s closest trading partner — things have gotten a bit awkward.

Offside, to borrow a soccer term.

Political tensions, combined with Trump’s immigration crackdown, are threatening to overshadow the largest-ever FIFA World Cup, with the three countries set to host a record 48 teams.

Will some international fans get caught up in Trump’s travel ban? And how does Canada play co-host to the world alongside a country that is openly threatening its very sovereignty? 

We tackle those questions, and many more, with our guest on tonight’s Closer Look podcast: Tim Elcombe, a kinesiology professor at Wilfrid Laurier University who studies the connected world of sports, politics and international affairs.

Hosted by Village Media’s Michael Friscolanti and Scott Sexsmith, Closer Look is a new daily podcast that goes way beyond the headlines with insightful, in-depth conversations featuring our reporters and editors, leading experts, key stakeholders and big newsmakers.

New episodes of Closer Look drop every Monday to Friday at 7 p.m. across the Village Media network, or wherever you find your favourite podcasts. Be sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel or follow us on X, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok.

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