Friday’s draw was the opening act of the 2026 World Cup, which will be co-hosted by the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. The event, held in Washington D.C., was the latest act in the “Decade of American Sports” — in which the U.S. will host a string of elite tournaments and mega-events, including the 2028 and 2034 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

This ambitious agenda puts the spotlight on the country’s sports diplomacy, in which athletic endeavors serve as an arena for gaining influence, cultivating international leadership, interacting with foreign audiences, and facilitating conversations that can lead to better understandings.

A slate of bipartisan co-sponsors has introduced H.R. 5021 “The American Decade of Sports Act,” to create a U.S. sports diplomacy strategy to capitalize upon these

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