US President Donald Trump established the task force on Friday to prepare for the 2026 World Cup. This brings Glove's best football tournament to North America when his only repetitive tariffs raise tensions across the continent.
“I think it's going to be even more exciting,” Trump said of playing the World Cup amid a keen rhetoric among host country leaders. “Tension is good.”
The Trump-chaired task force coordinates the security and planning of the federal tournament, which is expected to attract millions of tourists to the US, Canada and Mexico.
“It's a great honor for our country to have that,” Trump said of the World Cup after meeting with officials at FIFA, the International Football Governance Agency. He said he wanted to participate in multiple games.
Preparations are rising across the continent alongside tensions between the US and its neighbors as Trump repeatedly threatens to impose tariffs before it retreated, sucking up markets and leading to fears of a trade war and economic downturn. He also speaks lightly of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, museing Canada's becoming a US state, boosting national pride north of the border.
The 2026 World Cup will expand to 48 teams with 104 matches in three countries, with the tournament being split into many of those countries for the first time. There will be 78 out of 104 matches in the US, with 13 games each in Mexico and Canada, six games per day. The final will take place on July 19th at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino said the task force ensures that each visitor traveling from all over the world “feels safe, happy and we feel special.”
“So we're here to create and create the best shows on the planet ever,” Infantino said. He gave Trump a personalized game ball and unveiled an elaborate trophy that will be sent to winners of the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup.
Trump later brought Infantino to show off his trophy at the start of the White House cryptocurrency summit. He said the United States, where soccer is gaining popularity but remains a niche sport, is a major growth area for football.
Infantino has implemented an eye-opening security and logistics challenge for the host government to host three Super Bowls daily for a month.
The Trump administration will face its second test at the 2028 global sports stage, when the Summer Olympics are held in California, since it was hosted by Salt Lake City in 2002.
