A year out from the World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico, host city Los Angeles is engulfed in protests related to the deportation of Mexicans and other minorities. Meanwhile, an ever-shifting trade war threatens relations between the three hosts and a travel ban will likely prevent some fans from attending.

While the whims of US President Donald Trump make predictions perilous, fans, players and national teams must already start to make plans for one of sport's biggest events, one secured in Trump's first term when relations between the three countries were much more harmonious.

The ongoing protests are an immediate safety concern for the Club World Cup in the US, with European champions Paris Saint-Germain set to meet Atletico Madrid in LA on the tournament's opening day on June 15. LA will also host the first US game of the 2026 World Cup on June 12, a day after the tournament opens in Mexico.

Trump's travel ban, which came in to effect on Monday, bars citizens of Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen from entering the US. An exception was made for "any athlete or member of an athletic team, including coaches, persons performing a necessary support role, and immediate relatives, traveling for the World Cup, Olympics, or other major sporting event as determined by the secretary of state" but not for fans.

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