In a press conference in New York alongside FIFA president Gianni Infantino, Donald Trump celebrated the success of the World Cup jointly organized by the United States, Canada, and Mexico, by highlighting that the tournament broke all attendance, revenue, and international viewership records.
In addition, Trump highlighted that more than 6.5 million people attended the World Cup and described the atmosphere in the stadiums as extraordinary.
“This has been, by far, the most attended tournament in history. And I mean the history of all sports. All the stadiums were completely full, the atmosphere was extraordinary. Fans from 200 countries attended 104 matches played in 16 cities across North America,” he asserted.
Trump insisted that this was the most attended tournament in the history of all sports, while detailing that the proceeds reached 19.2 trillion dollars, a record figure for international soccer.
On the other hand, Trump asserted that organizing the World Cup represented a logistical challenge equivalent to coordinating 78 editions of the Super Bowl in less than two months and detailed that the security operation mobilized more than 50 federal agencies and all law enforcement bodies to ensure the protection and success of the tournament.
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Amid the euphoria over the achievements reached, he publicly suggested that the United States should host the next World Cup again, this time without the participation of Mexico and Canada, arguing that the country demonstrated its capacity to organize the biggest and most successful tournament in history.
Trump suggested that the United States should host the World Cup again, this time without sharing with Mexico and Canada.
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In a relaxed tone, the president joked with Infantino about the possibility of choosing China and the United States as hosts for the next edition so that players could enjoy short flights between matches.
“Gianni had another idea, he said we can have China and the US next time, so we can have a nice, short flight between matches. The players would love it,” he joked.
Trump’s presence at the World Cup was not limited to official events. The president was involved in one of the most talked-about episodes of the tournament when he intervened with Infantino regarding the red card shown to American striker Folarin Balogun.
“I was forced to call Gianni and make a recommendation (…). Let that guy finish the match! No, I didn’t say that. I said: I would like to file a complaint. I didn’t know what was going to happen, but it’s better how everything turned out, because there is no controversy: they won the match,” he recounted.
Furthermore, during the event, Trump dedicated words of recognition to the Scottish fans and the Argentine supporters, who cheered for Lionel Messi during the match in which he scored a hat-trick against Algeria.
The president intervened in the controversy over Balogun’s red card and recounted how he handled the situation with Gianni Infantino.
For his part, he extended his best wishes to Spain and Argentina for Sunday’s final and referred to the French national team during his statements.
“It was the favorite team. It was the team that, I think, was winning with the greatest ease. And then something happens,” the American president stated regarding France.
The relationship between Trump and FIFA, marked by mutual praise, was consolidated during the organization of the tournament. Infantino highlighted the leader’s role in the success of the World Cup and acknowledged his contribution to turning the United States into a soccer country, in addition to recalling that FIFA opened an office in the Trump Tower in Manhattan as part of the event.
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“This World Cup would not have been a success without you”, Gianni Infantino expressed to Trump during the meeting. The president replied: “It turned out we were a soccer country”.
On Sunday, July 19, the World Cup will reach its conclusion with the highly anticipated final between Argentina and Spain at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey and New York. The White House confirmed the presence of Donald Trump, who, after being absent for the first 102 matches of the tournament, will be a protagonist in the decisive ceremony and will present the trophy alongside Gianni Infantino.
