President Trump announced Friday that he is creating a task force to prepare for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which is being held in North America next year. The task force will oversee logistics and security for the entire event in the U.S., Canada and Mexico.
“I think it’s going to make it more exciting,” Mr. Trump said of playing the World Cup amid sharp rhetoric between leaders of the host nations amid the on-again, off-again tariffs that have ratcheted up tensions across the continent. “Tension’s a good thing.”
The task force, which Trump will chair, will coordinate the federal government’s security and planning for the tournament, which is expected to draw millions of tourists from around the world. Vice President JD Vance will serve as vice chair.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino was on hand for the announcement with the World Cup trophy.
Pool via AP
Preparations are ramping up across the continent alongside tensions between the U.S. and its neighbors as Mr. Trump has repeatedly threatened to impose tariffs before backing off, spooking markets and leading to fears of a trade war and economic downturn. He also speaks pejoratively of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and muses about Canada becoming a U.S. state, which has boosted national pride north of the border.
Infantino, meanwhile, said the task force will ensure that each of the visitors who will travel from around the world “feels safe, feels happy and feels that we are doing something special.”
“So we’re here to create and to make the best show on the planet ever,” Infantino said. He gave Trump a personalized game ball and unveiled an elaborate trophy that will go to the winner of the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup, which will pit top soccer clubs against each other this summer ahead of next year’s matchup of national teams.
Soccer’s biggest tournament will have games spread across 16 host cities in the U.S., Canada and Mexico over the course of a month.
Eleven U.S. cities, including Philadelphia, will host World Cup matches. The 10 other U.S. host cities are Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Houston, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Miami, New York/New Jersey, San Francisco and Seattle.
Toronto and Vancouver are the Canadian host cities, and in Mexico, Guadalajara, Mexico City and Monterrey were chosen.
Mr. Trump met Friday with officials from FIFA, the international soccer governing body.
“It’s a great honor for our country to have it,” Mr. Trump told reporters.
The president said he’d like to attend multiple games.
Sources told CBS News Philadelphia that Philadelphia is moving forward with their current plans.
Earlier this week, Philadelphia Soccer 2026 unveiled the city’s official FIFA World Cup poster.
