Trump Is Involved in the 2026 World Cup Whether People Like It or Not

The United States is hosting the FIFA World Cup 2026, one of the largest sporting events in history, and with Donald Trump serving as the current president, it’s no surprise he wants to be involved. But just how extensive will Trump’s involvement in the World Cup be? The answer, possibly very involved.

The FIFA World Cup is expected to generate billions in gross domestic product and add nearly 200,000 jobs, according to the White House. With an event this big, government involvement is very much needed, but people still want to know where exactly Trump will fit into all of it. Here’s what we know.

Donald Trump’s role during the 2026 FIFA World Cup, hosted in the United States, is serving as the chair of the White House Task Force on the FIFA World Cup 2026. The White House announced the creation of the task force back in March 2025 via executive order, designating Trump as chair and JD Vance as vice chair.

As chair of the task force, Trump was tasked with selecting an executive director and named Andrew Giuliani. While Giuliani is responsible for administering and executing the day-to-day operations of the task force, he is required to report directly to Trump.

Under Giuliani, the task force also created what is known as the Interagency Coordination Framework, designed “to ensure strong alignment across the federal government, tackling issues ranging from transportation and tourism to safety and security,” according to the White House.

Not only will Trump work closely with Giuliani throughout the 2026 World Cup to ensure everything is being carried out properly, but he and the vice chair, along with other members of the task force, are expected to meet regularly to review its agenda and ensure the work being done aligns with the executive order.

While there are several roles assigned under the task force, the executive order states that it “shall coordinate with executive departments and agencies (agencies) to assist in the planning, organization, and execution of the events surrounding the 2026 FIFA World Cup,” and that “agencies shall provide information and assistance useful and necessary to the task force.”

In addition to serving as chair of the World Cup task force, Trump is also expected to present the FIFA World Cup trophy to the winning team on July 19 alongside FIFA President Gianni Infantino, according to USA Today.

“This trophy will be handed out on the 19th of July to the captain of the team who will win the World Cup. I will give it together with the President of the United States, the host country. Nobody can touch this trophy,” Infantino said, per the outlet.

While the U.S. is excited to host the 2026 World Cup, fans around the world are pretty frustrated over travel restrictions that limit, and even prevent them from coming to the U.S. to watch the event, even if they have already purchased tickets.

According to the BBC, an Iraqi resident who spent about $1,800 on tickets is now unable to secure a visa, even though Iraq is not on the travel ban list.

However, he reportedly cannot obtain a visa in Iraq due to suspended consular services, and he doesn’t have the time to travel elsewhere to obtain the appropriate visa.

The outlet also reports that countries including Haiti, Iran, Senegal, and the Ivory Coast are included on Trump’s travel ban list (or face major restrictions), which could prevent citizens from obtaining the visas they need to travel and attend the event.