FIFA VP Fires Back at Trump Over 2026 World Cup Threat: "This is Our Tournament"
FIFA vice president Victor Montagliani dismissed U.S. President Donald Trump's recent warnings about relocating specific host cities for the 2026 World Cup, declaring that only FIFA has the authority to "make those decisions."
The 2026 World Cup is scheduled to take place across the United States, Canada and Mexico next summer, bringing football's premier tournament to North America for the first time since 1994. Eleven American cities, including Seattle and San Francisco, will serve as venues for matches, which came under President Trump's scrutiny last week.
"It will be secure for the World Cup. If I believe it isn't secure [for the World Cup], we'll relocate it to a different city. Absolutely… If I believe it's not secure, we're going to move it out of that city," the U.S. president stated.
Now, Montagliani has clarified his and FIFA's position on the matter, directly contradicting President Trump's comments.
Montagliani: Football Is 'Greater' Than President Trump, World Leaders
"It's FIFA's competition, FIFA's authority, FIFA makes those decisions," Montagliani, who also serves as president of Concacaf, stated on Wednesday at a sports business conference in London.
"With all due respect to current world leaders, football is greater than them and football will outlast their administration and their government and their messaging.
"That's the magnificence of our sport, is that it transcends any individual and transcends any nation," Montagliani concluded.
The 11 host cities in the U.S., alongside the three in Mexico and two in Canada, are contractually bound with FIFA for the 2026 World Cup. Significant logistical, legal and financial complications could emerge with any host city changes with the tournament just nine months away.
FIFA president Gianni Infantino has not yet commented on the matter.
Mauricio Pochettino's USMNT Caught in the Middle
The U.S. men's national team begins their 2026 World Cup journey in Los Angeles at SoFi Stadium before traveling to Seattle to play their second group stage fixture at Lumen Field.
The implications surrounding the match could be far greater than just three points should President Trump escalate his threat to eliminate Seattle as one of the host cities for the tournament. The city has been among several in the U.S. to resist President Trump's immigration and crime policies.
It remains uncertain how matches could, or potentially would, be transferred to other cities. The World Cup draw is scheduled to occur on Dec. 5 at the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C.