U.S. Soccer is forging new relationships with the Trump administration to ensure preparations for the 2026 World Cup run smoothly, its CEO has said.
The tournament will be hosted by the U.S., Canada and Mexico following their successful joint bid in 2018 but relations between the countries have been altered in recent months following the election of President Donald Trump.
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He has spoken about making Canada the “51st state” and is conducting an immigration crackdown at the border with Mexico.
JT Batson, though, highlighted a “long-standing relationship” with different government levels and the CEO of U.S. Soccer says Trump’s second term should not affect progress to a common goal. “Any time there’s a transition in (Washington) D.C., we have to build new relationships with new folks in leadership positions across the State Department, Treasury, the White House,” he said.
Batson is joined by organizers from the tournament’s other host nations in a special episode of The Athletic FC podcast called A World Cup Divided: Trump and 2026, which focuses on the political backdrop to next year’s global event.
Last month, Trump announced the formation of a World Cup taskforce alongside Gianni Infantino, the president of world soccer’s governing body FIFA, to provide governmental support. The official announcement highlighted that it will “co-ordinate with executive departments and agencies to assist in the planning, organization and execution” of the tournament.
“A lot of the things that are very important for a World Cup — like visas, tourists and safety — are things we work with the government all the time on,” said Batson at an event in Los Angeles called The Business of Soccer. “I know there’s very deep and broad commitment to ensure that ’26 is a huge success.”
Peter Montopoli is Canada’s lead World Cup organizer and has watched Trump’s Canada position with interest.
“We’re very passionate about who we are, and we’ve seen in recent times that we have to stick up for ourselves,” he said. “Sometimes we don’t have to be the nice Canadians. We can get our elbows up. It’s OK.”
Interviews with Concacaf president Victor Montagliani — who is also from Canada — and the nation’s American head coach Jesse Marsch also feature in the hour-long documentary alongside Montopoli. All staunchly defend the nation’s independence from the U.S..
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“I think the world needs more of Canada and we’re here to show the world what we are,” said Montopoli. “So June 12, 2026 (when Canada plays its opening World Cup match in Toronto) is one of the most important days in the history of our country, and I hope all Canadians embrace that and show the world we’re here. We’re good for the world.”
Canada beat the U.S. 2-1 to claim a bronze medal in the Concacaf Nations League finals.
“I’m a proud Canadian and representing this badge in our country is not something we take for granted,” said Canada goalkeeper Dayne St. Clair, who acknowledged the “stakes are a little bit higher” in the current climate.
The soccer team followed in the footsteps of Canada’s ice hockey squad, who beat their American counterparts in the 4 Nations Face-Off final in February. “Seeing the hockey between Canada and the U.S. and those fights inspired us to fight for our country,” St. Clair added.
You can listen to A Divided World Cup: Trump and 2026 as a podcast now
Trump’s policies include a strong stance on immigration from bordering Mexico. The head of that nation’s World Cup organizing committee is Jurgen Mainka and he calls the country’s hosting of the tournament a “brand-building exercise” capable of “repositioning the way the world sees Mexico”.
“Every time I turn the TV on in the U.S. or anywhere around the world, you hear about Mexico, but you hear about the violence, the drug cartels,” he said. “While that’s a reality of the country, I think it’s like five or seven per cent of what the country is all about.”
Former Mexico international and LAFC striker Carlos Vela says “it will be a great opportunity to show our football, our culture and make a big party for the the people” but acknowledges the political undertones present challenges. “The world is in a really tough situation, but we are out of sight of that,” he said. “We don’t focus on that situation because it’s not in our hands. We have to enjoy life and try to make life easy for everybody.”
Hear more from all of the above in an hour-long documentary on The Athletic FC podcast called ‘A World Cup Divided: Trump and 2026’. It also includes a trip over the US-Mexico border to Tijuana to speak to Mexican citizens about the tensions, plus contributions from former MLS star and ex-Montreal Impact head coach Thierry Henry, Fox analyst and Trump supporter Alexi Lalas, fans from the respective nations and many more.
(Top photo: Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
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