Fans have called for the United States to be stripped of its World Cup hosting duties next summer after Charlie Kirk was shot dead on Wednesday.
Kirk, 31, was hosting an event at Utah Valley University when he was shot in the neck while speaking onstage.
He was rushed to a local hospital as doctors tried to save him, but President Trump later announced that the influential MAGA commentator had passed away.
And with the World Cup set to kick off next summer, many soccer fans expressed concern at the tournament going ahead in America.
‘With the broad day light shooting and killing of Charlie Kirk, America should not be allowed by FIFA to co-host the World Cup,’ one fan wrote on X.
‘How will the World Cup be held in an unsafe country after the scenes of Charlie Kirk’s murder?,’ a second asked.
‘The World Cup cannot go ahead in America, for everyone’s safety,’ a third chimed in.
Plenty more fans voiced their reservations about the tournament.
A fourth said: ‘After seeing the Charlie Kirk video, I don’t think America hosting the world cup is a nice and wise idea,’
‘Once again, hosting the World Cup in America is a terrible idea This Charlie Kirk news is so heartbreaking,’ a fifth opined.
And a sixth claimed: ‘There’s no way that if what happened to Charlie Kirk happened in an Arab country they would be hosting the World Cup.’
While the 2026 World Cup will see games staged in Mexico, Canada and the USA, the vast majority of the games will be held in the United States.
Of the 16 host cities, 11 are in the United States, while all of the games from the quarterfinals onward will be in the USA. The final will be held at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
Kirk was a close ally of President Trump, who honored the Turning Point USA founder following his death.
‘The Great, and even Legendary, Charlie Kirk, is dead,’ Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.
‘No one understood or had the Heart of the Youth in the United States of America better than Charlie. He was loved and admired by ALL, especially me, and now, he is no longer with us. Melania and my Sympathies go out to his beautiful wife Erika, and family. Charlie, we love you!’
Kirk’s passing comes after Trump survived two assassination attempts last year, while United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson was killed in a targeted attack last December.
According to CNN, there have also been 300 mass shootings in the USA in 2025.
Kirk leaves behind his wife, Erika, with whom he had a three-year-old daughter and a 16-year-old son.
The couple celebrated their fourth wedding anniversary in May.
Following the tragic events, plenty from the sports world spoke out, including Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart, former NFL player and podcaster Will Compton and Barstool Sports boss Dave Portnoy.
Vice President JD Vance also said: ‘Say a prayer for Charlie Kirk, a genuinely good guy and a young father.’
The World Cup will begin on June 11, with the first US-hosted game coming the following day in Los Angeles.
