Democrats grapple uncomfortably with World Cup success

The triumph of the World Cup’s first two weeks — boosting the U.S.’s global reputation with sold-out stadiums and few logistical complications — has forced Democrats who had criticized President Donald Trump’s role in preparations to grudgingly reconsider.

“I think that there was a little bit of like liberal wishcasting that this would maybe be a disaster to sort of stick it to Trump,” said Rob Flaherty, the digital Democratic strategist and soccer fan who attended the U.S. group-stage match with Australia. “It hasn't yet been.”

Before the tournament, attitudes about the World Cup were polarizing, like so much else, along partisan lines, with Democrats confronting FIFA and the Trump administration over high ticket prices, shortfalls in public funding, and the government’s posture to foreign visitors. As the tournament approached, local officials in areas hosting matches, including New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill, turned from critics to cheerleaders.

Now a prominent congressional Democrat is going even farther: praising the U.S.’s handling of tournament logistics — if not giving the Trump administration explicit credit by name.

This week, Rep. Brendan Boyle, a Philadelphia Democrat active in foreign-policy issues, called it a “remarkable success” and vowed to “do everything I can to get the World Cup back here as soon as possible” in an X post.

In an interview with POLITICO Thursday, Boyle said, “this has been a great moment, actually devoid of politics, and I think it would be best to keep politics out of it."

"I'm excited about the U.S. hosting the World Cup, how well that it has gone, how receptive these foreign fan bases have been to finding out more about the United States and interacting with ordinary Americans," Boyle continued.

Boyle’s enthusiasm places him in rare territory. Though other prominent Democrats including California Gov. Gavin Newsom and Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, along with Mamdani and Sherrill, have all attended games, few among them have been willing to articulate anything that sounds like praise for the authorities putting on the event.

"Let me be clear, my comments are irrespective of the Trump administration. Frankly, his immigration policies for the last year and a half did scare some people off from coming to the United States,” said Boyle. "The credit goes to the local host committees.”