Gianni Infantino Congratulates Trump as 2026 World Cup Nears

Gianni Infantino congratulated Donald Trump on his projected return as U.S. President, noting their shared excitement for the upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup. Hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico, this tournament will bring the prestigious World Cup trophy back to North America for the first time since 1994. Infantino has met Trump on multiple occasions, discussing both the 2026 World Cup and the opening of FIFA’s U.S. headquarters in 2023.

He celebrated on Instagram, stating, “Congratulations Mr President! We will have a great FIFA World Cup and a great FIFA Club World Cup in the United States of America!” The 2026 World Cup will feature an expanded, restructured format that has stirred debate. For the first time, the tournament will involve 48 teams—up from 32—resulting in 104 matches compared to the previous 64.

This increase means a longer tournament with matches spread across the U.S., Canada and Mexico over 39 days, adding 10 days to the duration of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. These changes reflect FIFA’s commitment to making the tournament more inclusive and driving greater investment into global football development. Gianni Infantino emphasized that the additional projected revenue of £825 million and £530 million in profit would benefit grassroots football programs rather than simply inflating top-level earnings.

In this format, 12 groups of four teams each will play, as opposed to the initial consideration of 16 groups of three.  However, the European Club Association has raised concerns over the strain this extended schedule will place on domestic club fixtures, as countries will now have only 16 days to prepare after the end of the regular season. Nonetheless, Trump’s administration previously pledged that fans from all nations would be welcomed without discrimination for the tournament, setting the stage for an unprecedented, unifying event.