The California Democratic Party made a post on social media that said, "You’re not allowed to watch the World Cup if you’ve ever voted against immigration," on Thursday.
The post has come under immense scrutiny, as Americans across the political spectrum prepare to cheer together for Team USA in its World Cup opener against Paraguay.
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"Every one of those other Countries has its own immigration policy, where you can't just cross the border. The hypocrisy is crazy," one X user wrote.
Another user wrote, "Why? I don’t even understand the logic to this post."
Other harsh and sarcastic responses to the post went viral across X.
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The California Republican Party issued a statement in response to the controversial post.
"The World Cup is a beautiful event that brings people together from around the world and should have nothing to do with politics," said California Republican Party Communications Manager Francisco Bedoya. "Rather than trolling on social media, they should put their phones down, touch some grass, and enjoy this historic World Cup. But, if Democrats want to make it political and continue to divide Americans, then we’re here to call out their hypocrisy."
The United States is co-hosting the 2026 FIFA Men's World Cup, the first time the U.S. has hosted the event since 1994, alongside Canada and Mexico.
The U.S. is shouldering the bulk of the tournament, hosting 78 of the 104 matches across 11 major cities. All high-stakes games — including the quarterfinals, semifinals and the final — will take place in the U.S.
Friday's FIFA World Cup opener features the U.S. taking on Paraguay at 9 p.m. ET (6 p.m. local) at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California. The match is crucial for setting the tone in Group D, which also includes Australia and Turkey.
