World Cup
Heavy U.S. Tax Burden Looms Over African Teams at 2026 World Cup
As anticipation builds for the expanded 48-team 2026 FIFA World Cup across the United States, Canada and Mexico, a less visible but deeply consequential issue is casting a shadow over many participating nations—particularly from Africa and other developing regions.
Unlike previous tournaments, several of these countries are bracing for significant financial strain due to tax obligations in the United States, raising concerns that participation in football’s biggest spectacle could come at a high economic cost.
According to an investigation conducted by the UK publication, The Guardian, at the centre of the issue is the inability of FIFA to secure a blanket tax exemption agreement with the U.S. government for all participating nations. While FIFA itself enjoys tax-free status in the United States—a privilege dating back to the 1994 World Cup—this exemption does not extend to the 48 national associations competing this summer.
Unequal Playing Field Off the Pitch
The result is a stark imbalance. Only 18 of the qualified countries have double taxation agreements (DTAs) with the United States, shielding them from federal taxes. The majority of these are European nations, alongside a handful of others such as Egypt, Morocco, South Africa, Australia, Canada and Mexico.
For African teams without such agreements, including several debutants and smaller footballing nations, the financial implications could be severe. Countries like Haiti and Cape Verde, for instance, face the prospect of higher tax liabilities than traditional powers such as England or France, whose federations are protected by DTAs.
This disparity effectively creates a two-tier system—one where wealthier and more diplomatically connected nations incur lower operational costs, while less-developed football associations shoulder heavier financial burdens.
Development Funds at Risk
Tax experts warn that the consequences could extend far beyond the tournament itself. Oriana Morrison, a consultant who has advised several football federations, noted that the funds lost to taxation could have otherwise been reinvested in grassroots football development.
For many African federations, World Cup participation is not just about prestige but also about economic opportunity. Prize money and associated revenues often fund infrastructure, youth programmes and domestic leagues. However, with U.S. federal corporate tax set at 21% and top income tax rates reaching 37%, a significant portion of these earnings may be absorbed before they reach home federations.
Players and Coaches Also Affected
Even for countries with DTAs, relief is partial. Under U.S. law, athletes and coaches must still pay taxes on income earned while performing in the country. This means high-profile figures such as Carlo Ancelotti, currently managing Brazil, could face dual taxation—both in Brazil and the United States.
In contrast, managers like Thomas Tuchel of England benefit from more favourable arrangements, paying taxes only in their home country due to existing agreements.
While wealthier federations may absorb these additional costs, smaller associations—many of them from Africa—are unlikely to have such financial flexibility.
Rising Costs, Shrinking Support
Compounding the issue is FIFA’s fixed operational budget of $1.5 million per team, despite rising travel and accommodation costs in the United States. The daily allowance for delegation members has also been reduced from $850 at Qatar 2022 to $600 for 2026.
This stands in sharp contrast to the previous World Cup in Qatar, where all 32 participating nations were granted full tax exemptions by the host government, significantly easing financial pressure.
Geography Adds Another Layer
The tax burden is further complicated by variations across U.S. states. While Florida—host to matches in Miami—has no state tax, other venues come with steep rates. New Jersey, where the final will be held at MetLife Stadium, imposes a 10.75% state tax, while California, host to games in Los Angeles and San Francisco, has rates as high as 13.3%.
Canada and Mexico, the co-hosts, have offered full tax exemptions, meaning teams playing group matches there could avoid some of the financial strain.
A Tournament of Opportunity—Or Inequality?
For African teams, the expanded World Cup was meant to be a gateway to greater representation and opportunity on the global stage. However, the emerging tax realities threaten to dilute those gains.
With FIFA reportedly working behind the scenes to provide guidance and support, the broader concern remains unresolved: that the financial rewards of World Cup participation may not be evenly shared.
For many of Africa’s representatives, the challenge in 2026 will not only be to compete on the pitch—but to navigate an off-field financial landscape that could significantly impact the future of their football development.
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Veteran Mexican goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa has hinted that the upcoming FIFA World Cup could mark the final chapter of his illustrious international career after announcing that he has joined what he described as his “last training camp” with the national team.
The 40-year-old shot stopper is widely expected to be named in coach Javier Aguirre’s squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which Mexico will co-host alongside the United States and Canada from June 11 to July 19.
In an emotional message posted on social media on Monday, Ochoa reflected on his long journey with the Mexican national team.
“Putting this shirt on again was never routine … it was a privilege,” he wrote. “Today begins my last training camp. But this time I see it differently. With a fuller heart, more scars, more memories, and the same excitement as the child who once dreamed of defending this badge.”
If selected, Ochoa will join an exclusive group of players to feature in six FIFA World Cups, alongside football icons Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.
The experienced goalkeeper previously represented Mexico at the Germany 2006, South Africa 2010, Brazil 2014, Russia 2018 and Qatar 2022 World Cups.
Ochoa, who currently plays for AEL Limassol in Cyprus, also recently suggested that the tournament could signal the end of his professional career.
Speaking to Mexican broadcaster TUDN last month, he admitted that the World Cup “could be the end for me after the World Cup” as he prepares for what is expected to be his final season in football.
“I’ve experienced unforgettable nights, endless matches, anthems that still give me goosebumps, and moments that changed my life forever,” Ochoa added in his social media post.
“And still, every time Mexico calls, something inside me begins again.”
Widely regarded as one of Mexico’s greatest goalkeepers, Ochoa has earned more than 150 international caps and produced several memorable World Cup performances during his career.
Among his standout moments were a remarkable display against Brazil at the 2014 World Cup and his penalty save from Poland captain Robert Lewandowski during the Qatar 2022 tournament.
Mexico will continue their preparations for the World Cup with friendly matches against Ghana on May 22, Australia on May 30 and Serbia on June 4 before opening their Group A campaign against South Africa on June 11.
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Mexico’s education authorities agreed on Monday to keep the 2025-2026 school calendar unchanged, reversing a proposed early end to the academic year that had drawn criticism from parents and raised questions about disruptions linked to the World Cup.
Related Story: https://sportsvillagesquare.com/2026/05/09/mexico-president-wavers-on-plan-to-cut-school-year-by-40-days-for-the-world-cup/
The federal education ministry and state authorities unanimously agreed to preserve the existing 185-day school calendar, Education Minister Mario Delgado said, meaning the school year will still end on July 15 as originally scheduled.
Delgado said the agreement came in response to a call from President Claudia Sheinbaum, while also giving certainty to millions of Mexican families that organise their daily routines around the school calendar.
Authorities said states could still make local adjustments in extraordinary circumstances, including extreme heat or logistical challenges related to the World Cup.
Delgado had previously floated ending the school year on June 5 instead of July 15, citing high temperatures and the need to ease pressure in host cities during the tournament, which Mexico will co-host with the United States and Canada.
-Reuters
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Thousands of people, led by mothers of those who have disappeared during decades of drug violence, marched in Mexico’s capital on Sunday, protesting the violence and impunity plaguing the country as it prepares to co-host the FIFA World Cup.
Collectives of mothers of the missing, who march every Mother’s Day, called on soccer fans to join them, saying in a statement that “there is nothing to celebrate, because the mothers of Mexico are playing the most difficult match: the one for justice.”
“Mexico, champion in disappearances,” protesters chanted as they marched down Paseo de la Reforma, the signature boulevard in Mexico City, holding banners and signs emblazoned with pictures of missing people. They passed a roundabout surrounded by metal barriers that are permanently covered with pictures of the disappeared.
“We had to start fighting, because no one wanted to take charge of the disappearance (case),” said Graciela Perez Rodriguez, whose daughter and four other relatives disappeared in 2012 in the northern state of Tamaulipas as they travelled on a highway after a trip to the U.S.
Mexico has more than 130,000 missing people, with disappearances surging after 2006, when the country launched its war on drug cartels.
Police and other government officials are often implicated in the crimes. Mothers who search for their missing children themselves when authorities fail to act are sometimes also targeted by criminal groups and killed.
In March, Mexican authorities said they had potentially identified more than 40,000 people listed as disappeared who may be alive, after a review of the national registry of missing persons showed some activity across other government records.
But the public policy group Mexico Evalua found there has been a 200% increase in disappearances over the last decade, due to the growing power of organised crime groups.
Rodriguez said she worries that the case of her missing family members is no longer a priority since almost 14 years have passed.
-Reuters
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