President Donald Trump (R-FL) suggested the United States should host another FIFA World Cup, either alone or jointly with China [1].
The proposal comes as the U.S. concludes its role as a host for the 2026 tournament [1]. Securing a future World Cup would solidify the country's position as a global hub for sports and tourism, while potentially leveraging international diplomacy through a partnership with China.
Trump made the remarks on Friday during a meeting with FIFA officials at Trump Tower in New York [1]. He praised the success of the current tournament and urged FIFA leadership to consider the U.S. for future iterations [1, 2].
While the 2026 World Cup was a joint effort between the United States, Canada, and Mexico [3], Trump suggested a different approach for the next bid. He said the U.S. should be picked to host another World Cup but leave out Canada and Mexico [2].
Trump also floated the idea of a partnership with China to host the event. He said it would make for a nice short flight between games [1].
FIFA President Gianni Infantino attended the meeting and spoke highly of the ongoing event. Infantino said the 2026 FIFA World Cup is the American dream [1].
Despite the push for future tournaments, previous reports from June 2025 suggested that some FIFA matches in the 2026 tournament were at risk of cancellation due to U.S. immigration policies [4]. However, those reports remained rumors, and the 2026 tournament proceeded as scheduled [4].
“"The 2026 FIFA World Cup is the American dream."”
Trump's suggestion of a joint bid with China represents a pivot toward using major sporting events as a tool for bilateral relations. By advocating for the removal of Canada and Mexico from future bids, he is signaling a preference for a more centralized U.S. control over the tournament's economic and logistical benefits.
