President Donald Trump established a White House Task Force for the 2026 World Cup on Friday by signing an executive order in the Oval Office alongside Gianni Infantino, the president of FIFA, the governing body of world soccer.
The task force’s stated mission is to “showcase the Nation’s pride and hospitality while promoting economic growth and tourism,” according to the order. Trump will chair the body.
The U.S. is preparing to co-host the world’s most-watched sports tournament alongside Canada and Mexico amid rising geopolitical tensions, as Trump escalates a trade war with the longtime allies.
Asked about co-hosting the tournament with the neighbors after slapping them with tariffs, Trump said it only adds to the drama on the pitch.
“I think it’s going to make it more exciting,” said Trump.
“Tension is a good thing,” the president also said. “It makes it much more exciting.”
Infantino, the controversial president of soccer’s governing body, offered estimates of the economic impact the tournament will have in the U.S.
FIFA’s president estimated that between the 2026 World Cup and the lesser-known 2025 Club World Cup, which will also be hosted in the U.S., the country will rake in an estimated $40 billion.
Infantino also surmised that the tournaments will add 200,000 jobs to the country and bring in 10 million tourists.
Trump asked Infantino if the U.S., a perennial underdog in men’s soccer, could win the tournament for the first time in the nation’s history.
“Yes, with the public behind [them],” responded FIFA’s president.
“He knows what to say,” quipped Trump.
Infantino listed South American powerhouses Argentina and Brazil and European giants England, Germany, and Spain as the favorites for the tournament. Trump said he plans to attend “more than one” of the World Cup’s 104 matches.
Also in the Oval Office was Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, who is taking charge of security for the event. Questions about the United States’ ability to host the tournament have swirled ever since mayhem erupted at the Copa América final in Florida last summer.
In July 2024, fans without tickets stormed the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, trampling security officers, breaking down barricades, and vandalizing the stadium in order to watch Argentina take on Colombia for the trophy.
Noem said she’ll be running “incident command centers” in the American host cities and partnering with federal agencies, local law enforcement and international partners to ensure the tournament goes smoothly.
Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Houston, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Philadelphia, Seattle, and San Francisco are the American host cities for the upcoming tournament. New York and San Francisco’s games will be held at stadiums in East Rutherford, N.J., and Santa Clara, Calif., respectively.
Canada’s games will be hosted in Toronto and Vancouver, while Mexico’s matches will be held in Guadalajara, Mexico City, and Monterrey.
The tension between the co-hosts was underscored last week when the American-born coach of the Canadian national team blasted Trump’s repeated comments about Canada becoming the 51st U.S. state.
“If I have one message to our president, it’s lay off the ridiculous rhetoric about Canada being the 51st state,” Canada coach Jesse Marsch said in late February.
“As an American, I’m ashamed of the arrogance and disregard that we’ve shown one of our historically oldest, strongest, and most loyal allies,” said Marsch, a native of Racine, Wisconsin, who made two appearances for the U.S. men’s national team during his playing career.
Infantino also took the opportunity in the Oval Office to unveil the new trophy for FIFA’s Club World Cup. The tournament, which features the best club teams from each continent, has historically been an afterthought in the soccer world. But FIFA recently raised the stakes by announcing $1 billion in prize money for the tournament. (NBC)
