Trump at FIFA Gathering: "They Stole the Election, Now I Have the World Cup and the Olympics"

On Friday, former President Donald Trump made an appearance at a FIFA reception in New York City. During the event, he celebrated the success of the 2026 World Cup and took the opportunity to reiterate his claims of electoral fraud, stating that losing the presidency in 2020 "cost" him four years but "gifted" him major sporting events.

The event, which was broadcast live by the White House from Manhattan, was attended by approximately 300 individuals. Notable attendees included FIFA President Gianni Infantino, former Brazilian soccer star Ronaldo, and U.S. Soccer Federation President Carlos Cordeiro.

In his remarks, Trump recalled his efforts during his first term in 2018 to secure the World Cup for North America. He drew a direct connection between that achievement and his return to power, stating, "Eight years ago, in 2018, it was an honor for me to help secure the World Cup for North America, without imagining it would turn out as it did. Fate has it that I am president. I wasn't supposed to be here right now."

Linking the Election and Sporting Events

The most striking comment of the evening came when Trump linked the alleged electoral fraud to the major events happening during his second term: "They stole the election. And what did I get? I got the World Cup. I got the Olympics. And I brought them here."

Trump described the tournament as the "biggest ever" and suggested it might even surpass the Olympics in global significance: "I don't know, this might be bigger than the Olympics," he said, citing figures of between 6.5 and 7 million spectators in the stadiums, 104 matches across 16 cities, with 48 teams representing 200 countries.

Infantino's Praise and a Controversial Call

Infantino was generous with his praise for Trump, stating, "This World Cup would not have been such a resounding success without you," in front of the attendees.

Trump also lightheartedly mentioned his call to the FIFA head to discuss the red card given to U.S. forward Folarin Balogun, an incident that stirred controversy in early July: "I was forced to call Gianni and make a suggestion." FIFA reversed the penalty on July 5.

Future World Cup Hosting Proposal

The former president floated the idea of the United States being the sole host of a future World Cup, excluding current partners Mexico and Canada. The 2030 tournament is already set to be hosted by Spain, Morocco, and Portugal, so this proposal would target a later edition.

Trump concluded his speech with a diplomatic nod to the upcoming final on Sunday between Argentina and Spain at the MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, where he plans to present the trophy to the champion team alongside Infantino: "May the best team win."