Donald Trump Announces Fresh Update on Relocating 2026 World Cup Matches
Donald Trump has issued a significant update on whether any 2026 World Cup matches will be relocated if crime levels are judged too high.
The tournament’s draw was held on Friday evening at the Kennedy Center, where Trump received the inaugural FIFA Peace Prize from Gianni Infantino.
Source: Getty Images
A total of 104 games are set to unfold across the United States, Mexico and Canada in an expanded 48-team format.
Eleven U.S. host cities will stage matches, with all teams due to discover their full venue list and schedule during FIFA’s live announcement on Saturday.
While the semi-finals and final will all be played in East Rutherford, New Jersey, Trump has made it clear that he would be willing to move fixtures from any city experiencing “high crime,” specifically singling out Los Angeles, Boston and Seattle — all Democratic-run locations.
Trump's stance on moving World Cup games
FIFA president Gianni Infantino responded by saying, “It’s of course the responsibility of the government … and obviously we will discuss, we are working together,” while stopping short of confirming Trump’s stance.
He emphasised that “safety and security is the No. 1 priority for a successful World Cup.” Trump, who oversees a World Cup taskforce, reiterated that if any city showed “any sign of trouble,” he would urge Infantino to move matches elsewhere, adding: “We have a lot of cities that would love to have it … and we’ll do it very safely.”
After dancing to his adopted anthem, “YMCA,” at the ceremony, Trump conducted several interviews and addressed whether games could realistically be moved at short notice despite the huge financial implications.
Speaking to Fox News, he said:
“No, I don’t want to do that, but if they do have a problem by the time we get there, we’ll take care of that problem. We can solve that problem. I’ve proven that in D.C. and everywhere else we went and we’ll take care of that very easily. If they have a problem, hopefully they’ll let us know and we’ll solve any problem.”
The tournament will kick off on 11 June with Mexico hosting South Africa in Mexico City, while the first match on U.S. soil will see Mauricio Pochettino’s side face Paraguay at SoFi Stadium the following day.
A year after lifting part of the Club World Cup trophy, Trump received a special medal and award from FIFA — a new honour celebrating individuals who have “helped to unite people all over the world in peace.”
Credited by FIFA with “brokering ceasefires and promoting diplomatic engagements,” Trump described the accolade as “one of the great honours of my life” and claimed his efforts had “saved millions and millions of lives.”
Countries on US Travel ban list
Earlier, YEN.com.gh reported that a complete list of the 19 countries that could be barred from entering the United States for the World Cup due to U.S. travel restrictions has now been released.
With FIFA’s biggest tournament less than eight months away, several national teams — including some that have already qualified outright — face the prospect of being denied entry to the host nation.
Source: YEN.com.gh
