I want one of them to win. I think it would be so great for the Global South.
In the charged atmosphere surrounding the 2026 World Cup, MSNBC host Joy Reid publicly declared her support for African nations over Team USA, framing a potential American victory not as cause for celebration but as political ammunition for a president she distrusts. Her remarks, made on her podcast alongside sports commentator David Zirin, illuminate a deeper fracture in American public life — one where the symbols of national pride have become so contested that even a sporting tournament cannot escape the gravity of partisan meaning. It is a moment that asks, as many such moments do, what it means to belong to a country whose story you feel you cannot fully claim.
- Joy Reid and David Zirin openly stated they are rooting against Team USA, with Reid going further to actively cheer for an African nation to win the entire tournament.
- The tension is not merely about soccer — Reid's remarks are inseparable from her earlier admission that she cannot celebrate the Fourth of July as a Black American, revealing a deep estrangement from conventional patriotism.
- Conservative media seized on the comments as proof of anti-American sentiment within mainstream liberal outlets, sharpening an already bitter debate about who gets to define national loyalty.
- The apparent contradiction — building a prominent career in American media while rooting against American teams — became the focal point of criticism, framing Reid's candor as a liability rather than a principle.
- With Morocco and Egypt still in contention and France the heavy favorite, the World Cup itself remains unresolved, but the cultural battle Reid's words ignited shows no sign of cooling.
On her podcast, Joy Reid made no effort to conceal where her loyalties lay during the 2026 World Cup: not with the United States. Speaking with David Zirin, sports editor of The Nation, she said she was rooting for African teams to win the tournament and actively hoping Team USA would be eliminated. Her reasoning was political — she feared a U.S. victory would be seized upon by President Trump as a trophy to brandish on the world stage.
Zirin had set the tone by expressing hope that the U.S. would lose to Belgium in the Round of 16, framing an American defeat as preferable to handing the president a moment of triumph. Reid agreed, and went further, saying she wished the U.S. were facing a Global South opponent so she could root against them "with even more fervor." The remarks echoed frustration she had voiced days earlier about her inability to celebrate the Fourth of July as a Black American.
"I'm rooting for all the African teams," she said plainly. "I want one of them to win. I think it would be so great for the Global South." At the time, Morocco and Egypt were the two African nations still in contention, both carrying long odds — around +2500 and +2900 respectively — while France led the field at +180.
Conservative outlets responded sharply, framing Reid's position as emblematic of a broader anti-American current in liberal media. The criticism focused on what they characterized as a telling contradiction: openly rooting against American interests while enjoying the platform and prosperity that American media affords. For Reid's critics, the remarks were not just about soccer — they were a window into a worldview that treats national identity as something to be resisted rather than celebrated.
On her podcast, Joy Reid made clear where her allegiances lay during the 2026 World Cup: not with the United States. Speaking with David Zirin, the sports editor of The Nation, Reid said she was actively rooting for African teams to win the tournament and against Team USA advancing in the competition. Her reasoning centered on a political concern—that a victory for the American squad would be seized upon and weaponized by President Donald Trump on the world stage.
Zirin had opened the conversation by stating he hoped the United States would lose to Belgium in the Round of 16, framing a potential American defeat as preferable to giving the sitting president a trophy he could exploit. Reid agreed with the premise. She went further, saying she wished Team USA were facing a team from the Global South so she could root "with even more fervor" to see them eliminated. The sentiment reflected a broader frustration she had expressed days earlier about her inability to celebrate the Fourth of July as a Black American.
When pressed on her position, Reid clarified that she wasn't simply rooting against her own country's team. She was actively rooting for an African nation to win the entire tournament. "I'm rooting for all the African teams," she said on air. "I'm being very open about it. I'm rooting for the African teams. I want one of them to win. I think it would be so great for the Global South for an African team to take home the big prize."
At the time of her remarks, two African nations remained in contention: Morocco and Egypt. Egypt carried the longest odds to win the Cup at +2500, while Morocco sat around +2900—the same odds as Team USA itself. France was the tournament favorite at +180.
Reid's comments drew sharp criticism from conservative media outlets, which framed her position as emblematic of a broader anti-American sentiment among certain media figures. The criticism centered on the apparent contradiction of building a lucrative career in American media while openly rooting against American interests on the world's largest sporting stage. The commentary suggested that Reid's audience—characterized as sharing her skepticism of American institutions—was precisely what she was speaking to with such candor.
Citas Notables
I'm rooting for all the African teams. I want one of them to win. I think it would be so great for the Global South for an African team to take home the big prize.— Joy Reid
A U.S. victory could be exploited by President Trump on the world stage— David Zirin, paraphrased
La Conversación del Hearth Otra perspectiva de la historia
Why would a sports outcome matter politically in the way Reid and Zirin describe?
Because a World Cup victory is a moment of national pride that gets amplified and claimed by whoever's in power. A president can use it to reshape his image, to say something about American strength or unity. They wanted to deny that moment.
But isn't rooting against your own country's team in a competition a pretty stark statement?
It is. And that's the point she was making—that her concerns about the country's direction were serious enough to override the usual instinct to support your team.
What does it say that she felt comfortable saying this publicly?
That she believed her audience shared the view, or at least wouldn't punish her for it. She wasn't hedging or apologizing. She was being, as she said, "very open about it."
Do you think most Americans would see this the same way?
No. Most people separate sports from politics, or they see rooting for your country as a baseline. Reid was arguing that politics had already infected the moment—that neutrality wasn't possible.
What happens if an African team actually wins?
Then Reid gets what she wanted, and the narrative becomes about African football and the Global South. If Team USA wins, she'll have to reckon with having publicly hoped they wouldn't.