U.S. Soccer chief: Trump supports joint World Cup bid
If the 2026 World Cup is awarded to North America, it won’t be without significant questions about President Trump’s foreign policy.
The soccer federations of the United States, Mexico and Canada announced a joint bid to host the 2026 Cup in a news conference Monday at One World Observatory.
U.S. Soccer President Sunil Gulati addressed Mexico’s involvement in the joint bid after a divisive presidential campaign in which one of Trump’s most polarizing promises was to build a wall along the Mexico-USA border.
“We have the full support of the United States government in this project,” Gulati said. “The president of the United States is fully supportive and encouraged us in having this joint bid. He is especially pleased that Mexico is part of this bid, and in the last few days we have gotten further encouragement on that. We’re not at all concerned about some of the issues that other people may raise. We looked at bidding alone and decided we wanted to bid with our partners in North America, and we have a strong encouragement from President Trump to that very end.”
According to the agreement, 60 of the 80 matches would be played in the USA, with Mexico and Canada each hosting 10.
“I believe, like Sunil said, this is not a forum to talk about politics, it’s a forum to talk about soccer,” Decio de Maria, president of the Federación Mexicana de Fútbol and CONCACAF vice president, said in Spanish. “What I am certain of is that both countries will work tirelessly to build many soccer fields so that the ball keeps rolling and so that our respective communities can enjoy the benefits that soccer creates.
“Like I said earlier, there will be a (World Cup) champion, but the real winners are soccer and the region to have invited the world to enjoy this celebration. I think that’s how you create a beautiful story.”
In his first days in office, Trump signed several executive orders imposing travel bans from certain countries amid massive protests and orders from judges blocking the moves.
On June 16, 2015, in announcing his presidential bid, Trump said, “When Mexico sends its people, they’re not sending their best. They’re not sending you. They’re not sending you. They’re sending people that have lots of problems, and they’re bringing those problems with us. They’re bringing drugs. They’re bringing crime. They’re rapists. And some, I assume, are good people.”
When asked further about Trump’s election during a question-and-answer session, Gulati reiterated his opening remarks and deflected further comment.
“We’re not going to get too much into politics today in discussing American foreign policy or anyone else’s foreign policy, but what I can tell you is we very specifically have addressed this with the president,” Gulati said. “He’s ... encouraged with the joint bid and is especially pleased in the fact that Mexico is participating in this joint bid with us. Those are all positives. Regarding anything else that may have been said during the campaign or after the fact, I’m not going to speak for the president on those.”
The final vote for the World Cup will take place in May 2020, during Trump’s first term, but if the joint bid is chosen, the event would take place under a new president in 2026.
“That us three are standing here as presidents of the federations of the countries that took in our families is a very strong statement,” said Victor Montagliani, president of the Canadian Soccer Association and president of CONCACAF. “And it’s something that I’m very proud of.”