The United States President Donald Trump has stirred global debate after announcing that World Cup matches scheduled for the United States in 2026 could be relocated from cities he considers unsafe. The high-profile tournament, which will feature 48 teams for the first time in history, is set to be jointly hosted by the US, Canada, and Mexico, with America staging 78 of the 104 matches, including the final.
Trump, who chairs the World Cup task force and maintains close ties with FIFA President Gianni Infantino, told reporters in the Oval Office that security will determine which cities host games. “It will be safe for the World Cup. If I believe it isn’t safe, we will relocate it to a different city,” he declared.
The official US host cities are Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Houston, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Miami, New York/New Jersey, Philadelphia, San Francisco, and Seattle. However, Trump singled out Democratic-led cities like Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Seattle, raising concerns that his stance could ignite political and logistical tensions ahead of the global showcase. Each of these cities is slated to host between six and eight matches.
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Security has remained central to Trump’s political agenda. In recent months, he has deployed National Guard troops and federal officers to various US cities, including Washington DC, Los Angeles, and Chicago, citing rising safety concerns despite mixed crime data. His latest comments have sparked uncertainty over FIFA’s control of tournament logistics, with questions raised on whether a sitting US president could influence host city allocations.
The World Cup draw is scheduled for December 5 in Washington DC, with the tournament running from June 11 to July 19, 2026. FIFA has yet to issue an official response to Trump’s remarks, but insiders warn that any attempt to alter host city allocations at this stage could cause chaos for planning, ticketing, and international travel.
This is not Trump’s first foray into World Cup controversies. Earlier this year, he argued that allowing Russia to return to the competition could help resolve the war in Ukraine, despite FIFA and UEFA banning the country since its 2022 invasion. He also claimed that trade tensions with Canada and Mexico, both co-hosts, would somehow “benefit” the tournament.
