TORONTO, June 18 - Decked out in Canada-branded apparel with a red cowboy hat and a maple leaf painted on her cheek, Catherine Paternal arrived ready to cheer on the national soccer team. Yet she made it clear she is not comfortable with Canada co-hosting the World Cup alongside the United States.
In recent weeks the U.S. president has repeatedly threatened to refer to Canada as the 51st state and suggested he might not renew the trilateral trade agreement that covers the tournament's co-hosts - the United States, Canada and Mexico. Those comments, along with tariffs imposed on steel, aluminum and automobiles from Canada and frequent public criticism of Ottawa, have left many Canadians cold to the idea of traveling south for World Cup matches.
"The World Cup is about bringing countries together. I dont feel like the U.S. is a good example of bringing people together right now," said Paternal, 44, who lives in Mississauga, a city adjacent to Toronto.
The U.S. president has also accused Canada of taking advantage of the United States and on several occasions referred to Prime Minister Mark Carney as "governor." That rhetoric, paired with trade measures, has prompted ongoing boycotts of U.S. goods and cancellation of travel to the United States by some Canadians for more than a year.
When asked whether she would travel to the United States to watch World Cup matches, Linda Anson, 68, answered plainly: "Absolutely not." Speaking in Toronto, she pointed to the president's remarks as the principal reason and said she would have preferred the tournament to be hosted solely by Canada and Mexico. Her husband, Bruce, added: "We are a sovereign nation."
Not all fans are so restrained. Liam Delaney left work and went straight to Toronto Stadium to see Canada play Bosnia and Herzegovina in the national team's opening match on Friday. He did not hold back in characterizing the U.S. president's impact on the tournament.
"I think he is ruining the world of football for North Americans. He is making us look really bad," Delaney said.
Polling this month has shown deep unease in Canada about the direction of the United States. An Abacus Data survey indicated 80% of Canadians think the United States is on the wrong track, while a Nanos poll found 53% believe boycotting U.S. goods and avoiding travel there has helped shore up Canadas position in negotiations with the United States.
Still, not everyone wants sport and politics to remain intertwined during the tournament. Mauricio Gonzalez, a Mexican Canadian, urged supporters to set aside diplomatic friction for the duration of the competition. "Just put that aside ... just enjoy soccer for a month, and we can resume everything else after," he said.
Officials involved in staging the event say cooperation with co-hosts has been constructive. Bahoz Dara Aziz, spokeswoman for Canadas secretary of state for sports, said Canada has worked closely with the United States and Mexico to prepare for the World Cup and described the engagement as positive.
A White House spokesman, Davis Ingle, declined to comment directly on the co-hosting arrangement but noted that the World Cup requires close coordination among U.S. partners and FIFA.
The tournament is being contested across 16 cities spanning Canada, Mexico and the United States - a joint-hosting arrangement that was confirmed in 2018 during the U.S. president's first term. Canada will play its second match, against Qatar, in Vancouver on Thursday.
Memories of a different bilateral dynamic persist among some Canadian fans. Catherine Thomas, who lives in Oshawa, said she recalled a time when Washington and Ottawa were reliable allies. "When we started with this World Cup thing, the U.S. and Canada were still friends," she said. "I dont feel that way towards the U.S. now."
Even the attendance choices of public figures have become fodder for debate. The former prime minister, Justin Trudeau, drew criticism from some fans for opting to attend the opening U.S. match in Los Angeles rather than the first World Cup game on Canadian soil. Trudeau was seen in the stands at the U.S. opener with his pop star partner, Katy Perry, after she performed at the U.S. opening ceremony. He posted on social media: "Sometimes supportive boyfriend duties call. But you know who Im rooting for to take the Cup."
For many Canadian supporters, the tournament is a mixture of pride and unease: pride in watching their team on home soil and unease about sharing the spotlight with a partner country whose political posture and trade disputes have strained relations. While a portion of the public is willing to separate sport from statecraft for the length of the competition, a significant share remains steadfast in refusing to let diplomatic tensions be set aside.