A day at the soccer pitch should offer a nice distraction from trade wars and tariff talk.

Next year’s FIFA World Cup, to be jointly hosted by Canada, Mexico and the U.S., will test that theory. Can the U.S., in particular, stage a successful tournament that attracts fans from around the world? Or will tensions, tariffs and deportations alienate visitors and businesses?

U.S. President Donald Trump certainly sees nothing but opportunity ahead for one of the world’s biggest sporting events. "Tension is a good thing," he recently said, when asked about the tournament in the Oval Office. "It makes it much more exciting."