NEW YORK (AP) — President Donald Trump is poised to award the World Cup trophy to either Argentina or Spain after Sunday’s final match. However, in his view, the true winner of the tournament may be the United States.
“It turned out we were a soccer country, and I think it’s going to remain,” Trump remarked on Friday during a FIFA reception at Trump Tower in New York City. “This has really brought the world together.”
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The White House considers Sunday’s event a culmination of over a year of managing numerous logistical obstacles with co-hosts Canada and Mexico for what is anticipated to be the largest World Cup ever. This effort included balancing the Trump administration’s stringent migration policies that prevented fans from certain World Cup qualifier countries from entering the U.S.
The White House received warnings from human rights organizations, and the tournament faced criticism over the high cost of tickets. For months, Trump considered relocating matches from cities that did not comply with federal immigration authorities, and just before the tournament started, local officials clashed with FIFA over expensive transit fees, further escalating tensions.
As the initial matches were about to commence, the administration was scrutinized internationally for its visa policies, such as refusing entry to a Somali referee recognized for his officiating skills. The pressure intensified after Trump initiated a conflict with Iran, leading to challenges with an Iranian team whose fans and some staff were denied entry into the U.S., eventually setting up base across the border in Tijuana.
However, the narrative around the World Cup began to change. Stories on social media emerged of international soccer fans enjoying American traditions, ranging from beer to ranch dressing. Concerns about potential immigration enforcement actions near the games, which circulated earlier, did not materialize.
“One of the things that we talked about beforehand was, if we’re talking about what happened on the pitch, then we’ve done our job,” Andrew Giuliani, the executive director of the White House FIFA Task Force, mentioned in a discussion with The Associated Press. “But I think it’s even better than that. We’re not just talking about only the incredible, athletic feats on the pitch, but we’re talking about all these incredible, incredible cultural moments.”
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Controversy arose when Trump made a call to FIFA chief Gianni Infantino earlier this month, in which he requested a review of a disputed referee decision in the U.S. team’s game against Bosnia and Herzegovina. The referee issued a red card to U.S. star forward Folarin Balogun, which meant he could not participate in the subsequent match against Belgium.
Trump stated he merely asked Infantino, who has developed a close relationship with the U.S. president and encountered criticism for this, to review the decision. FIFA later overturned the decision, and Trump expressed to Infantino at the FIFA reception on Friday that “you made another great decision, if you think about it,” as it allowed the U.S. to retain a key player despite losing to Belgium 4-1.
Giuliani commented that the administration had an obligation to question and highlight concerns about the officiating, which came under scrutiny due to the use of video review and slow-motion replay to issue the red card. He emphasized that the Trump administration allocated billions in federal funding to ensure the World Cup was “not just a safe and secure event, not just where we welcomed the world, but an event that was filled with integrity.”
The Trump administration faced significant pressure to successfully host the World Cup, given that the U.S. is set to host the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles and the 2034 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City.
The U.S. is also largely expected to host the 2031 Women’s World Cup. Giuliani noted in the AP interview that part of securing these hosting duties involves “ensuring that, in fact, women and only women will play in that 2031 Women’s World Cup,” referencing the Trump administration’s strong opposition to transgender women participating in women’s sports.
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Sen. Andy Kim, D-N.J., a dedicated World Cup enthusiast whose home state is hosting the final on Sunday, noted that the tournament’s logistics have generally proceeded smoothly, despite occasional issues like transit to the games.
However, “overall, just the joy that people have, the excitement that they have, has dramatically outweighed” any drawbacks, Kim commented, having watched the games eagerly with his two young sons over the past weeks.
The U.S. also encountered broader tensions with its World Cup co-hosts Canada and Mexico. Trump announced significant tariffs on both countries upon returning to the White House and chose not to renew a trade agreement among the three nations, leading to a new phase of negotiations.
On Friday, Trump threatened tariffs on Canada due to its wildfires, which have impacted air quality in parts of the U.S., including northern New Jersey, where the World Cup final is being held. He humorously suggested on Friday that FIFA should soon select the U.S. for the World Cup again, “and this time, we’ll leave Mexico and Canada out.”
Nevertheless, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney plan to attend the final at Trump’s invitation, indicating that soccer can transcend some geopolitical tensions.
“I received an invitation from President Trump to attend the World Cup final on Sunday, and I decided to go because it’s a direct invitation from the President of the United States,” Sheinbaum stated. “Prime Minister Carney will also be there.”
In keeping with the tradition for host country leaders, Trump will present the trophy to the winning team. However, he has not publicly expressed a preference for either team.
Spain has been a source of irritation for Trump, given its reluctance to meet NATO defense spending targets and its refusal to allow the U.S. to launch strikes against Iran from its bases. Conversely, Argentine President Javier Milei is favored by the Trump administration, with Trump even threatening to withdraw financial aid if Milei’s coalition did not succeed in legislative elections.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez intends to attend the game, although Milei — due to superstition — will remain at home.
Kim reported from Washington. Associated Press writer Joey Cappelletti in Washington contributed to this report.
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