The president Donald Trump attended a reception by FIFA this Friday in New York, where he celebrated the success of the 2026 World Cup and took the opportunity to reiterate his allegations of electoral fraud, stating that losing the presidency in 2020 "cost him" four years but "gifted him" major sporting events.
The event, broadcast live by the White House from Manhattan, brought together about 300 people, including FIFA president Gianni Infantino, former Brazilian footballer Ronaldo, and the president of the United States Soccer Federation, Carlos Cordeiro.
In his speech, Trump recalled that in 2018, during his first term, he helped secure the tournament's headquarters for North America, and then drew a direct line between that achievement and his return to power: "Eight years ago, in 2018, it was an honor for me to help secure the World Cup for North America, not imagining it would turn out to be what it has become. As fate would have it, I am president. I was not supposed to be here right now."
The most striking phrase of the night came when Trump linked the alleged electoral fraud with the major events that are held during his second term: "They stole the election. And what did I get? I got the World Cup. I got the Olympics. And I brought them here."
Trump described the tournament as the "largest in history" and suggested it could even surpass the Olympic Games in global significance: "I don't know, this could be bigger than the Olympics." He cited figures of between 6.5 and seven million spectators in the stadiums, 104 matches in 16 cities, 48 teams, and representation from 200 countries.
Infantino, for his part, spared no praise for the leader: "This World Cup would not have been such a remarkable success without you," he told those present.
Trump also joked about his call to the FIFA president to request a review of the red card given to American striker Folarin Balogun, an episode that sparked controversy in early July: “I felt compelled to call Gianni and make a recommendation.” FIFA overturned the sanction on July 5.
The president also put forward a proposal for the future: that the United States host the next World Cup on its own, excluding Mexico and Canada, its partners for this edition. The venue for the 2030 tournament has already been awarded to Spain, Morocco, and Portugal, so the proposal would target a later edition.
Trump concluded his speech with a diplomatic statement regarding the final on Sunday between Argentina and Spain at the MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, where he is scheduled to present the trophy to the champion team alongside Infantino: "May the best team win."
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