Trump Demands World Cup Return to US, Citing 6.6 Million Attendance

Q: What happens to confirmed hosts if Trump’s demand for another US World Cup succeeds?

If Trump’s push somehow succeeded, the already confirmed hosts would not automatically lose their tournaments unless FIFA took the extraordinary step of reopening or overturning awards that are already settled. Under current FIFA decisions, the 2030 World Cup is assigned to Morocco, Portugal and Spain, with centenary matches in Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay, and the 2034 tournament is assigned to Saudi Arabia. FIFA’s rotation rules also make the United States ineligible again until 2038 because North America is hosting in 2026. So the only realistic slot for another U.S. World Cup would be 2038 or later. That means confirmed hosts for 2030 and 2034 remain in place unless FIFA breaks its own calendar and bidding framework. There is nothing in the available information suggesting Trump’s request would displace them. For that to happen, FIFA would need to reverse binding host selections, a move that would likely trigger major legal, commercial and diplomatic fallout given existing contracts, infrastructure planning and sponsorship commitments. In practical terms, Trump’s demand is better understood as political pressure for a future tournament rather than a mechanism that changes current host awards. Based on FIFA’s published schedule and rules, confirmed hosts keep their tournaments, and any successful U.S. bid would have to come after them, most plausibly in 2038.

3 articles · Updated · Yahoo Sports · Jul 19

Trump said the World Cup should return to the United States “immediately” and vowed to press Fifa president Gianni Infantino for another tournament during his presidency.
His push rests on demand from this summer’s 48-team event across the US, Mexico and Canada, which Fifa says drew 6.6 million fans—more than the previous two World Cups combined.
Fifa’s current calendar leaves little room: 2030 is set for Morocco, Portugal and Spain, with opening matches in Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay, and 2034 will be in Saudi Arabia.
Those plans, plus bidding rules barring confederations that hosted either of the previous two tournaments, mean the United States is not eligible again until 2038.
Trump is due at Sunday’s final between Argentina and Spain to present the trophy, capping a tournament whose buildup was also shadowed by scrutiny of his ties to Infantino, ticket prices, visa issues and the Iran war.