2026 is going to be a defining year for sport in North America. The soccer World Cup is being jointly hosted by Mexico, Canada, and the USA. This means that all three nations will be represented at the tournament, with hosts granted automatic qualification. It will surely be a spectacle, especially after the USA hosts the FIFA Club World Cup in 2025.
However, there will be one 2026 World Cup that will have no American representation. That is, of course, at the Speedway World Cup in Poland. In fact, the States hasn’t had a representative team at the event since its return to the schedule in 2023. The USA is not participating in the Speedway of Nations, marking another barren year for the nation.
This begs the question, why is the USA so far behind other speedway nations, and could this be a missed opportunity to take advantage of the fervor of World Cup days to promote both soccer and speedway?
A Team Miles Behind Its Competitors on the World Stage
For a nation as large as the States with a real thirst for motorsports, it is somewhat shameful that there is no representative team at the largest events on the international calendar. Some of the other countries on the roster are significantly smaller – both geographically and in population size – and have other sports that they are more well known for.
Take the UK as an example. They regularly qualify for the event and have been runners-up on three occasions, despite soccer, rugby, and cricket being their national sports. The two most successful teams are Poland and Denmark, respectively. They are two relatively small soccer-mad nations, and the USA cannot match them in achieving international-class status.
What is even more frustrating for fans of US speedway is how far their country lags behind nations not usually favored for the title. Australia have won it twice, but those were the first two editions. They have yet to win it since 2002. However, in the speedway betting for 2026, they’re heavy favorites at – 120, ahead of both Denmark and Poland.
Could Two World Cup Appearances Have Boosted US Sport?
National representation at a premier international competition is a great way to introduce new fans to a sport and boost its popularity. We can take a look at Major League Soccer as an example. In 2001, the league was on the verge of collapse. Prior to the 2002 season, it was in $250 million of debt, and franchises were folding.
The 2002 World Cup ended up being the United States’ greatest performance on the world stage. They made it to the quarterfinals, and the excitement of breaking into the last eight saw soccer experience a boom that almost singlehandedly saved the sport in the country. There wouldn’t be the MLS now if not for the team that travelled to Japan and South Korea.
It did also help that there was a sense of injustice. The quarterfinal saw Germany progress despite an obvious goal-saving handball on the goalline. Had the US progressed, a final could have been on the horizon. Instead, the watching public was fueled by anger and began supporting local franchises, ultimately growing the sport into a genuine behemoth.
Will the US Ever Return to the Speedway World Cup?
If the country is serious about becoming a global powerhouse in sport, it will have to assess how to improve its performance in flagship events. Missing out on a World Cup when the nation is crazy about motorsports is unacceptable. While the MLS was saved mainly by reaction to relative success, it also took investment.
The moneymen in charge need to look into targeted investment in domestic competition to build the nation’s representatives. If they can get the speedway team back on the podium, it could spell a period of success at home and abroad. It would be a welcome development for fans of the sport.
