Washington: The president of the United States, Donald Trump, has revealed that the 2026 World Cup draw will take place in Washington this December.
Standing next to the FIFA Chief, Gianni Infantino, in the White House, Trump described the tournament as “probably the biggest event in sports” and even joked for wanting to maintain the gold trophy for himself.
The announcement confirmed that the Kennedy center in the US capital will organize the ceremony on December 5.
The draw for the 48 team football championship will be held at the Kennedy center in the US capital, where Trump was recently installed as president in what he called a war against the “Woke” culture.
“He is the largest, probably the biggest event in sports,” Trump said, flanked by the FIFA Chief, Gianni Infantino, while making the announcement at the Oval Office of the White House.
The 2026 World Cup is being organized by the United States, Canada and Mexico next year, and Trump has made a big problem about it during its presidency.
Infantino, who promoted narrow ties with the billionaire president of the United States, brought the World Cup with him for the announcement and even let Trump have it.
“Only the president of FIFA, the presidents of the countries, and then those who win can touch it, because it is only for winners. And as you are a winner, of course, he can also touch it,” said Infantino.
“Can I keep it?” Trump replied, who won a second mandate in the White House last year, while lifting the trophy with both hands.
“That is a beautiful piece of gold.”
Trump seemed to be joking, although the separate trophy from the FIFA Club World Cup remains in the Oval office more than a month after the English team Chelsea won it in New Jersey last month.
Putin ‘can come and he doesn’t’
There was a brief moment of nerves, since Trump seemed to balm the World Cup before placing it on his desk, while Infantino extended a hand to stabilize it.
Later, Infantino introduced the American leader a giant ticket, Row 1 1, for the World Cup final on July 19 at the Metlife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, on the outskirts of New York.
Trump also suggested that Russian President Vladimir Putin can attend the World Cup.
Holding a photo that said that Putin had sent him after his summit in Alaska last week, Trump said that the chief of Kremlin “wants to be there very badly”, but that “it can come and that it does not” depend on the result of the peace efforts of Ukraine.
The United States was appointed as a World Cup 2026 host during Trump’s first mandate as president in 2018. He lost the 2020 elections against Joe Biden but won a second term last year.
From his return to power, Trump has launched a great repression against immigration, but said it would be “very easy” for most World Cup fans to get a visa.
For visitors from some countries, it would be “obviously a little more difficult,” said Trump, who has banned all 12 -nations travelers, including Afghanistan, Haiti and Iran.
‘Trump-Kennedy Center’
According to the reports, the World Cup raffle would be held in Las Vegas, but the new place has more political nuances.
Trump directed an acquisition of the Kennedy Center earlier this year, saying that the venerable place of performing arts that bears the name of the late Democratic President John F. Kennedy had become too “aroused.”
He added Friday when he announced that “some people refer to him as the Trump-Kennedy center, but we are not yet prepared to do so, perhaps in a week or so.”
Trump visited the Kennedy center just before the announcement of the Oval Office on Friday. He has said that he will make important improvements to “beautify him”, including the addition of marble coatings.
The president of the United States also praised an important repression of federal crime in Washington that has seen the troops of the United States National Guard deployed in the streets of the capital.
Trump said the movement would make Washington safe for football fans who visit the city during the tournament next year.
