President Trump suggested to reporters Thursday that he would move matches for next summer’s 2026 men’s World Cup away from U.S. host cities that are “even a little bit dangerous.”
Speaking from the Oval Office, Trump first guaranteed that the World Cup would be “very secure,” but then suggested that he would intervene and strip host cities of matches. A reporter mentioned Seattle and San Francisco, which will host six games each, as cities that have pushed back against the Trump administration’s immigration policies.
The reporter asked Trump what he would do if those cities “did not cooperate” with the administration.
“Well, that’s an interesting question,” said Trump, “but we’re going to make sure they’re safe. They’re run by radical left lunatics who don’t know what they’re doing.”
Seattle’s Lumen Field will host four group-stage games, including the U.S. team’s second group match on June 19. Lumen Field will also host a round of 32 game and one round of 16 match. Levi’s Stadium, which is actually in Santa Clara, roughly 40 miles south of San Francisco, will host five group-stage matches and one match from the round of 32.
Since FIFA determined the World Cup schedule in February, each of the 11 U.S. host cities has been preparing for the myriad of requirements that a World Cup commands. Along with Seattle and San Francisco, the other host cities are Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles, Kansas City, Miami, New York/New Jersey and Philadelphia. Mexico City, Guadalajara and Monterrey will host matches in Mexico. Vancouver and Toronto will host matches in Canada.
It is unclear how feasible it would be to change sites for World Cup games at this point in the process, as the event begins next June.
Trump does not have explicit authority to move World Cup games out of any city. He does, though, have a direct line to the FIFA president, his “great friend” Gianni Infantino.
FIFA’s contracts with host cities, some of which have been obtained via public records requests, stipulate that FIFA “shall not have the right for ordinary termination” of the contract; but generally grant FIFA sweeping power and protection against any legal claims if it were to terminate or violate the agreements.
Trump’s government also recently allocated $625 million in federal funds to World Cup security. That money will be split proportionally — not equally — among the 11 U.S. host cities, depending on their needs. The cities will submit their costs and requests for reimbursement, according to Andrew Giuliani, head of the White House’s World Cup task force. It’s unclear if Trump — who chairs the task force — could potentially politicize and withhold some of that funding.
FIFA, soccer’s governing body, did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Athletic.
The 48-team World Cup draw will take place on Dec. 5 at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. On Thursday, Trump claimed that the latest crime statistics in the nation’s capital revealed “no crime.” In August, Trump deployed National Guard troops to Washington, D.C. after signing an executive order due to a “crime emergency” in the District of Columbia.
“As you probably know, we’re going into Memphis and we’re going into some other cities,” Trump said. “Very soon we’re going into Chicago. It will be safe for the World Cup. If I think it isn’t safe, we’ll move into a different city, absolutely. It’s actually a very fair question.
“If I think it’s not safe, we’re going to move it out of that city. So if any city we think is going to be even a little bit dangerous for the World Cup, or for the (2028) Olympics, you know where they have Olympic overthrow right, but for the World Cup in particular, because they’re playing in so many cities, we won’t allow it. We’ll move it around a little bit. But I hope that’s not going to happen.”
(Photo: Annabelle Gordon / UPI / Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Source link
