Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass made a worthy call for the United States Government to give clear, unequivocal reassurances to fans planning to attend this year’s FIFA World Cup in the United States, given growing concern that visitors could be caught up in Washington’s immigration crackdown.

Her appeal should not be dismissed as political hand-wringing, but understood for what it is: A necessary intervention at a moment when the image the US projects to the world is under intense scrutiny.

Few global events rival the World Cup in its ability to bring people together across borders, languages, and belief systems. For decades, sport has served as a bridge between cultures; fostering understanding, tolerance, and a sense of shared humanity that transcends politics; reminding us that rivalry can exist without hatred and difference without fear. That legacy is worth protecting.

It is against this backdrop that Mayor Bass’s concerns must be heeded.

The US — co-hosts with Canada and Mexico — is set to host the bulk of the June 11 to July 19 tournament’s matches, welcoming hundreds of thousands of overseas visitors.

Yet, images circulating globally of federal immigration agents cracking down on protesters in Minneapolis have understandably sent shock waves far beyond US borders. The killing of intensive care nurse Mr Alex Pretti, shot multiple times after being forced to the ground, on January 24, more than two weeks after Ms Renee Good, a mother of three, was shot dead in her vehicle by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent, has raised serious questions about the conduct of some agents of the State and the message such actions send to the world.

We understand and acknowledge the responsibility of governments to enforce immigration laws and to get ahead of illegal immigration. No country can function without a credible system of borders and enforcement. However, there is a growing perception that the current crackdown has tipped into something harsher and more indiscriminate than necessary.

When enforcement appears excessive, militarised, or indifferent to human life it risks undermining the very values that major sporting events are meant to showcase.

Mayor Bass is correct in insisting that assurances cannot come from city halls alone. They must come from the White House. Only the federal Government can credibly guarantee that football fans travelling to host cities will not be caught up in aggressive enforcement actions simply for being foreign. Reassurance is not weakness; it is diplomacy, hospitality, and common sense.

The irony is that everyone involved has a shared incentive to get this right. Host cities are investing heavily in fan zones, cultural festivals, and public screenings. We also recall that last December Mr Andrew Giuliani, the executive director for the White House Task Force on the FIFA World Cup, told journalists that when President Donald Trump established the task force earlier in 2025, “he set forth a clear mission: Ensure the country delivers a safe, welcoming, and memorable World Cup.

The fact, too, that the tournament is being held in the same year that the US celebrates its 250th anniversary on July 4, should be a source of great pride for the nation.

The World Cup should be remembered for goals, drama, and joy — not fear at airports or anxiety in public spaces.

We look forward to a successful, inclusive, and incident-free tournament — one that reflects the best of sport and, crucially, the best face of the United States to the world.