Donald Trump has confirmed that the United States wants to bid for the next available FIFA World Cup "immediately" following this summer's tournament. For football purists across the Atlantic, that sentence alone is enough to send a shudder down the spine.
Americanisation of the Beautiful Game
British fans have spent the last month enduring the full-blown Americanisation of the beautiful game, including endless hydration breaks, cringeworthy Super Bowl-style half-time shows and even the introduction of championship rings for the winners. To top off the madness, Trump admitted getting on the phone to FIFA boss Gianni Infantino to complain about US striker Folarin Balogun's red card, shortly after the ban was controversially suspended.
Trump's Grand Plan Faces a Major Snag
Speaking to Fox before Sunday's final, which saw Spain edge Argentina to lift the trophy, Trump couldn't resist boasting about co-hosting the 2026 showpiece. He said: "Well, I had an idea for Gianni. So he got it all started and, you know, I brilliantly said, 'Well, we'll do it,' but, you know, you could have a lot of empty stadiums. [It] didn't work out that way. I think I saw 99.9 per cent, and it's probably wrong because I think they were overflowing, actually. But I had a great idea for Gianni. I said, 'You have to do two countries. So announce us again next time and announce another country after that, that'll take out some of the anger and the shock.' I think it's a great idea. But based on the numbers, we will be requesting it again immediately. But I said to take out the shock, you could announce us and maybe then for the next one, another, and even another. But we have to do this again, and we have to do it while I'm around. You hear that, Gianni?"
FIFA Rotation Rules Block US Bid
Despite Trump's enthusiastic pleas to his buddy Gianni, strict FIFA regulations mean the US won't be hosting again anytime soon. Under FIFA's rotation policy, confederations that have just hosted the tournament are banned from bidding for the next two editions. With 2026 taking place across the CONCACAF region, North America is automatically disqualified from hosting in 2030 or 2034. The 2030 tournament is locked in to be held across Morocco, Portugal and Spain, while Saudi Arabia has already been named as the host for 2034. That means the earliest the US could apply to host again is 12 years away in 2038.
Constitutional Hurdle for Trump
The timing creates a huge problem for Trump. Under the 22nd Amendment of the US Constitution, presidents are limited to two terms in office, meaning his presidency will officially end in 2028. Unless he somehow manages to rewrite the US Constitution to secure a third term, something he has previously hinted he might attempt, he will be long gone from the Oval Office by the time 2038 rolls around. Trump even joked a few days prior that FIFA should bring the tournament back to the States on one strict condition, adding: "This time, we will leave Canada and Mexico out."
