In 2026, the United States will stage the men’s World Cup for the first time in over three decades and this week, the world will learn whether Republican candidate Donald Trump or Democrat opponent Kamala Harris will be the nation’s president during the tournament. The bidding process and lobbying efforts for the 2026 World Cup, which will be co-hosted by neighbours Canada and Mexico, took place during Trump’s previous presidency, from 2016-20, and as one of the most divisive politicians in U.S.
history, he presented various complexities for the bid committee on the campaign trail. Advertisement The so-called United bid, comprised of senior figures from U.S.
, Canadian and Mexican soccer, launched its campaign formally in April 2017, with north African nation Morocco announcing a rival bid that August. By then, Trump had pledged to build a “big, beautiful wall” between the United States and Mexico, and make Mexico pay for it, as a cornerstone of his successful 2016 presidential campaign. He had also signed an executive order that limited entry into the U.
S. for refugees and banned foreign nationals from several predominantly Muslim countries entering the U.S.
for 90 days. Then, as the World Cup bidding process intensified, potential voters were further disturbed to read widespread reports in the American media which claimed Trump had caused offence by asking why his country should accept immigrants from “s***hole” countries such as Haiti in the Caribbean and some.