President Donald Trump announced Friday FIFA’s upcoming “Final Draw” for the 2026 World Cup will be taking place Dec. 5 at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. Speaking from the Oval Office, Trump expressed his enthusiasm for the U.S. hosting the Word Cup and emphasized its economic significance to the country.
“This is a big deal. I’m so happy to get it. The 2026 FIFA World Cup will be the biggest in the history of sports,” said Trump.
Anticipated economic impact from FIFA
According to the FIFA president Gianni Infantino, the 2026 FIFA World Cup is expected to draw 6 million people to various U.S. venues, with 6 billion viewers worldwide.
The combined engagement from both live attendance and global viewers, according to Trump and Infantino, is projected to deliver $30 billion for the U.S. economy and create 185,000 jobs.
The Kennedy Center, which Trump also visited Friday, is set to receive $250 million in renovations as approved by Congress in July and will take “about a year” to complete.
International fans concerned about visas
Responding to a question about foreigners’ concerns, Trump said it would not be an issue and the visa process will be less complex for most countries who are participating in the event.
Trump also said regardless of the process being less complicated for some countries, it may be more difficult for others from specific nations.
Trump’s comments come as his administration continues to tighten immigration rules, an issue that has caused commotion among foreign countries and travelers. In June, the State Department announced a list of 12 countries it will no longer be issuing visas for, including Iran, Somalia and Equatorial Guinea.
Infantino skeptical about U.S. victory in the 2026 World Cup
Pressed by Trump on whether the U.S. could win the 2026 World Cup, Infantino was hesitant, mentioning it was “definitely possible” for the U.S. team to reach the quarterfinals. He said predicting an outright victory was less certain.
Infantino also presented Trump with a ticket to the World Cup Final, which will take place at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J., approximately six miles west of Manhattan. General ticket sales for fans worldwide will start on Sept. 10.
FIFA’s president concluded the “World Cup is not just a sport, but a global event that brings the world together.”
Photo by Fauzan Saari on Unsplash
Edited by Abbigail Earl & James Sutton
