One of the world’s favorite sporting events, the Men’s FIFA World Cup, starts June 11. And as with any global event, there will be significant challenges.

This year’s World Cup is being hosted by North America, so the games will be spread across the U.S., Canada, and Mexico.

For the U.S., the pressure stems mainly from the fact that this summer also marks our nation’s 250th birthday. There is such a thing as home-field advantage, and it would be awesome if our athletes could advance from group play to the finals. The U.S. men’s national team (USMNT) has made it to the quarterfinals only twice: in 1930 (the very first World Cup) and again in 2002.

Unfortunately, some pregame drama has arisen from the USMNT roster. Two star Major League Soccer midfielders, Tanner Tessmann and Diego Luna, did not make the cut. Tessmann in particular seems like a miss because our national team’s midfielder position has weaker candidates.

Then there are the national security concerns, given the war in Iran and the influx of foreign tourists. The U.S. is on high alert, preparing for and being vigilant against potential terror attacks.

Since the North American countries are sharing the burden of hosting, they are also sharing the burden of scrutiny — and Mexico has suffered the worst headlines thus far.

In Jalisco province, there is some hesitation about allowing games to be played and for tourists to visit because there may be a serial killer on the loose. Three women were discovered murdered on the outskirts of Puerto Vallarta, dumped there over a period of 11 days. The most recent one was found just last Thursday. The victims were all around the same age, tattooed, and partially undressed. No family or friends have come forward to claim the bodies; ergo, these women are unnamed and unidentified.

Sadly, people going missing or turning up murdered is common in Mexico, a country that is more or less ruled by the drug cartels. These cartels prey on innocent civilians, particularly women. Jalisco is one of the worst provinces for disappearances and murders, and it was made even more dangerous in February when the Mexican government bravely took out Nemesio Rubén Oseguera Cervantes, a.k.a. “El Mencho.” While the area has since stabilized, it remains under a Level 3 warning from the U.S. State Department. In other words, American tourists are advised to vacation elsewhere.

With World Cup games scheduled to be played in Guadalajara, the capital of Jalisco province, about 190 miles from Puerto Vallarta, the outlook isn’t good.

Meanwhile, Canada is making headlines for issuing Medical Assistance in Dying (MAID) approval at a Tim Hortons ahead of the biggest soccer tournament in the world. Besides reforming their broken bureaucratic healthcare system, which would rather euthanize citizens than give them proper treatment for their sicknesses, the Canadians’ top aspiration is to do better than the Americans at the World Cup. They are, after all, still smarting from the U.S.‘s dual hockey smackdown at the February Winter Olympics.

Pregame drama notwithstanding, the 2026 World Cup will be a fun way to officially kick off a summer of celebrating. The U.S.’s first match is June 12 against Paraguay. Our boys are ranked first in their group, so there is a lot of momentum going into the tournament. Let’s go cheer them on as they wind their way through group play and hopefully into the finals!