TORONTO — Dressed head to toe in Canadian soccer gear, complete with a red cowboy hat and a maple leaf painted on her face, Catherine Paternal looked every bit the proud Canadian fan. But when it comes to sharing the world’s biggest soccer stage with the United States, her enthusiasm fades fast.
The political relationship between Canada and the U.S. has grown increasingly tense in recent weeks, with U.S. President Donald Trump renewing threats to absorb Canada as the 51st American state and suggesting he may walk away from the trilateral trade deal that binds the U.S., Canada, and Mexico — the three nations jointly hosting this year’s World Cup.
“The World Cup is about bringing countries together. I don’t feel like the U.S. is a good example of bringing people together right now,” said Paternal, a 44-year-old from Mississauga, a city just outside Toronto.
The tensions go beyond rhetoric. The U.S. president has levied tariffs on Canadian steel, aluminum, and automobiles, accused Ottawa of exploiting the United States, and has repeatedly referred to Prime Minister Mark Carney using the term “governor.” In response, Canadians have spent more than a year boycotting American products and avoiding travel to the U.S.
Nearly every Canadian who spoke with Reuters said they had no intention of setting those grievances aside for the sake of the tournament.
“Absolutely not,” said Linda Anson, 68, bluntly, when asked whether she would travel to the United States to watch any World Cup matches. She pointed directly to Trump’s comments about Canada as her reason, adding that she would have preferred the tournament to be held solely in Canada and Mexico. “We are a sovereign nation,” her husband Bruce added.
Another fan, Liam Delaney, rushed straight from work to Toronto Stadium to catch Canada’s opening World Cup match against Bosnia and Herzegovina on Friday. He had sharp words about the U.S. president. “I think he is ruining the world of football for North Americans. He is making us look really bad,” Delaney said.
Polling data underscores the widespread discontent. A survey from Abacus Data conducted this month found that 80% of Canadians believe the United States is headed in the wrong direction. A separate poll from Nanos showed that 53% of Canadians felt that boycotting U.S. goods and steering clear of American travel had helped strengthen Canada’s standing in its dispute with the U.S.
Still, not everyone wants to mix politics with soccer. Mauricio Gonzalez, a Mexican Canadian, urged fans to take a breather from the conflict. “Just put that aside … just enjoy soccer for a month, and we can resume everything else after,” he said.
On the official side, Canadian authorities say the co-hosting arrangement has gone smoothly. Bahoz Dara Aziz, spokeswoman for Canada’s secretary of state for sports, said Canada has worked closely with the U.S. and Mexico throughout the process and that cooperation among the three host nations has been positive. White House spokesman Davis Ingle noted that the World Cup required extensive coordination between U.S. partners and FIFA, though he did not address the co-hosting nations directly.
The tournament is being played across 16 cities in Canada, Mexico, and the United States. The three countries were selected as joint hosts back in 2018, during Trump’s first term in office. Canada’s next match is against Qatar in Vancouver on Thursday.
For some fans, the current climate is a stark contrast to the optimism that surrounded the original World Cup bid. “When we started with this World Cup thing, the U.S. and Canada were still friends,” said Catherine Thomas, a resident of Oshawa. “I don’t feel that way towards the U.S. now.”
Even former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau drew scrutiny from Canadian fans after he skipped Canada’s opening home match in favor of attending the U.S. opener in Los Angeles, where he was photographed in the stands alongside pop star Katy Perry — his girlfriend — who had performed at the U.S. opening ceremony. Trudeau addressed the criticism on social media, writing: “Sometimes supportive boyfriend duties call. But you know who I’m rooting for to take the Cup.”
