The United States hosted the Club World Cup in the summer of 2025, which could be seen as a bit of a stepping stone to the World Cup in the summer of 2026.
Donald Trump was front and center for a lot of the festivities during and adjacent to the Club World Cup.
Juventus’ men’s team went to visit Trump at the White House in June 2025 and were present for an awkward moment. As reported by Yahoo Sports and many other outlets, Trump asked the players whether a woman could ever make their squad. It seemed like a way to interject the transgender athlete debate into what was supposed to be a glorified handshake and photo opportunity.
Trump was on hand at MetLife Stadium for the Club World Cup final between Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain. Chelsea steamrolled the prominent French club 3-0, but were blindsided by Trump’s actions after the match was over.
Chelsea star Cole Palmer told Fox News, “I knew he was going to be there, but I didn’t know he was going to be on the stand when we lifted the trophy, so I was a bit confused.” Trump was right next to the Chelsea players, smiling as if he had just spent 90 minutes on the pitch himself.
Additionally, it seems like Chelsea may have taken home a duplicate trophy, while Trump gets to keep the original. According to USA Today, Trump said that FIFA officials told him he could have the original “forever in the Oval Office.” The president indicated that FIFA told him they made another one to give to the eventual Club World Cup champions.
If the Club World Cup is any indication, Donald Trump is likely to use the World Cup in 2026 to spend more time in front of the camera. It seems at least possible that he might be on stage with the winning nation after the final fixture is played at MetLife Stadium in July 2026.
With eyes from every corner of the world watching, Trump knows that this will be the largest audience he’ll ever have. It wouldn’t be surprising for him to pull out all the stops to prove that America is the most powerful nation in the world. Upstaging Canada and Mexico by a small margin might not be enough in his mind.
In the spring of 2026, Trump signed an executive order creating an American FIFA World Cup 2026 Task Force. As noted on the White House’s website, “In collaboration with executive departments and agencies, the Task Force will facilitate comprehensive planning, organization, and execution of the largest sporting events in the history of mankind.”
The White House website predicted that the Club World Cup and World Cup would generate $47.6 billion in gross output, $26.8 billion in GDP, $10.2 billion in social benefits and $5.3 billion in government revenue in the United States.
Since world leaders from across the globe stand to make stops in North America next summer to watch their nations’ play on the pitch, it wouldn’t be surprising for Trump to use this as a political narrative.
For example, Trump might invite world leaders to an event before the World Cup begins. Given the nature of his discourse in his second term, it wouldn’t be surprising for him to call out leaders who declined the invite or who did not show up.
There’s also a white-hot spotlight on immigration into the United States right now, and droves of fans from other nations are expected to descend on North America next summer. How Trump and immigration agents handle this influx of people is going to be something to watch.
When the U.S., Canada and Mexico submitted a joint bid to host the 2026 World Cup, it was assumed that Trump would not be in the White House. The bid book is available on FIFA’s website, and stated, “President Donald J. Trump’s job approval currently registers at low levels in some surveys, but he enjoys significant support from his base. Due to term limits, he will not be eligible to be President in 2026.”
Of course, presidents are allowed to serve two total terms in office in the United States, whether they are consecutive or not. The bid book also noted, “Though the image of the United States abroad may have suffered in some places, the United States is still viewed in positive terms by the majority of the world.”
It was never predicted that Trump would be as central in the Club World Cup as he was, so there are likely surprises the president has in store that no one can conceive of right now.
