US President Donald Trump made an 'immediate' request to FIFA and Gianni Infantino at the World Cup final. The US President hailed the tournament, held in the States alongside Mexico and Canada, as one of the greatest sporting events to ever take place. And he wants that feeling to be repeated.
Trump Calls for 2038 World Cup in the US
Trump is one of many Americans to have been won over by football's introduction Stateside and he called for the 2038 edition, the next World Cup that can be held in North America, to once again take place in the United States.
"Based on the numbers, we will be requesting it immediately," Trump told FOX Sports. "We have to do this again, and we have to do it while I'm around. You hear that Gianni?"
US Favored to Host 2038 World Cup
While the official host nation of the 2038 World Cup will not be announced for another year or two, the US appears well-positioned to be the favourite.
According to FIFA regulations, a member association from a confederation that staged either of the previous two World Cups is typically barred from bidding for the subsequent one.
With the 2030 edition being held in Morocco, Spain, and Portugal, alongside three matches taking place in South America, and the 2034 tournament being hosted by Saudi Arabia, four confederations – Europe, South America, Africa, and Asia – are technically ineligible to stage the 2038 World Cup.
That leaves only North America and Oceania, with the United States emerging as the overwhelming favourite given Trump's ambition to host it once more, though he will be 92 years old when it eventually arrives.
Trump and Infantino Discussed Possibility
Trump and Infantino were inseparable during much of Sunday's World Cup final, so it is conceivable the pair discussed the possibility of the US staging the 2038 edition.
Earlier in the competition, Trump played a significant role in FIFA's contentious decision to allow USMNT striker Folarin Balogun to play in the last 16 clash against Belgium, despite receiving a one-match suspension for a red card in the previous fixture.
Trump reportedly called Infantino to discuss the verdict and Balogun's suspension was subsequently overturned. The decision sparked widespread condemnation from football supporters, media, and even rival World Cup nations as it blatantly contradicted FIFA's own regulations.
