After the killing of a Ukrainian woman on a train and the conservative activist Charlie Kirk at a public event in Utah, concerns have increased about safety in the United States — a country which will host the World Cup next summer together with Canada and Mexico.

Kirk, a well-known figure in the conservative “MAGA” movement, was shot dead on stage while speaking at an event at the University of Utah Valley on Wednesday. He was struck in the neck by a bullet and died shortly afterward at the hospital.

The incident has triggered strong reactions on social media, where many football (soccer) fans are calling for FIFA to reconsider granting the USA the rights to co-host the World Cup.

“With the shooting and the killing of Charlie Kirk, America must not be allowed by FIFA to co-organize the World Cup,” wrote one user on platform X.

Another added: “How can the World Cup be held in an unsafe country after scenes such as the killing of Charlie Kirk?”

“The World Cup cannot take place in America, for everyone’s safety,” someone else said.

Another said: “After I saw the video of Charlie Kirk, I don’t think that holding the World Cup in America is a good and wise idea.”

So far, FIFA has given no indication of withdrawing from the hosting arrangement, but the event has sparked debate over the level of security that can be provided during such a large international event in the USA. The World Cup will begin on June 11, with the first match to be played in the U.S. the following day in Los Angeles.