Trump urges immediate US World Cup hosting bid amid geopolitical tensions
Donald Trump’s attendance at the Argentina-Spain final coincides with renewed US-Iran hostilities, as the president pushes FIFA to reconsider hosting rights despite existing agreements through 2034.
US President Donald Trump attended the 2026 FIFA World Cup final between Argentina and Spain at MetLife Stadium on Sunday, using the occasion to reiterate his demand that the United States host the tournament again immediately. The event, held at the venue formerly known as MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, saw Trump arrive via Marine One, which conducted a flyover and landed outside the arena. According to pool reporters, the president’s appearance on the stadium’s scoreboard received no discernible reaction from the crowd.
During the pre-match proceedings, a staffer presented the FIFA trophy for Trump to inspect. He patted the trophy before it was removed, shortly before he was scheduled to present the award to the winning team. Trump’s presence at the final follows a meeting with FIFA President Gianni Infantino at Trump Tower on Friday, where the two discussed the possibility of the US hosting another tournament. Trump stated that the event had confirmed the nation as a "soccer country" and expressed his intention to propose a dual-hosting model to mitigate potential backlash against a US return.
"I had a great idea for Gianni," Trump told reporters on the Fox Sports pregame show. "I said: ‘You have to do two countries. So announce us for next time, and then announce another country after that and it’ll take out some of the anger and the shock!’" He added that based on attendance figures, the US would be requesting to host again immediately, suggesting that announcing a second country for the subsequent tournament would help manage public sentiment.
The president’s attendance occurred against a backdrop of heightened geopolitical tensions, including recent military exchanges between the US and Iran and the death of two US servicemembers in Jordan. Trump declined to officially endorse either team in the final, though he remarked to Fox Sports that it is "hard to bet against" Lionel Messi. He noted that while he considers the head of Argentina a friend, he would not pick sides, citing Messi’s performance in the tournament where he has scored eight goals.
Hosting rights for the 2030 and 2034 World Cups have already been awarded to Morocco, Portugal, and Spain, and Saudi Arabia, respectively. This means the earliest the US could host the tournament again is 2038, nine years after Trump’s current term concludes. The president previously sparked controversy by urging Infantino to overturn a red card issued to a US player earlier in the tournament, an incident that drew criticism from football fans despite the overall success of the three-nation hosting effort, which projected 10 million attendees across the US, Canada, and Mexico.
