(Adnkronos) – It was supposed to be a preview of the great sporting event scheduled for next year, but the final of the FIFA Club World Cup played yesterday at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford ended up raising more questions than sporting enthusiasm for Donald Trump. The Washington Post claims this, reflecting on what happened yesterday evening, when the American president, present in the grandstand with First Lady Melania and FIFA President Gianni Infantino, was greeted by chants of “USA! USA!”, but also by a shower of whistles and boos during the national anthem and especially during the award ceremony, when he took the stage to present the trophy to Chelsea. A signal that worries FIFA and the White House: the fear is that the 2026 World Cup, which will be held between the United States, Canada and Mexico, will turn into a platform of protest against the figure of the president.
The episode has reignited tensions between the inclusive and global image of the World Cup and the restrictive immigration policies of the Trump administration. In June, the president signed an executive order limiting entry into the United States for citizens of 12 countries, including Iran, which has already qualified for the tournament. The exceptions provided for players, coaches and staff members do not, however, extend to fans, fueling fears of a competition lacking in terms of popular participation. “The World Cup? The one where the world is not invited? – Minky Worden, director of global initiatives at Human Rights Watch, commented to the Post – Trump wants the glory and the photos with the champions, but not the inclusiveness that this event represents”.
FIFA, for its part, has already chosen which side to take and aims to maintain strong relations with the tycoon. Infantino recently opened an office inside Trump Tower in New York and has also accompanied the president on his recent trips to Saudi Arabia and Qatar. Trump, for his part, seems determined to use the tournament as an international showcase in view of the 2028 elections. He has appointed Andrew Giuliani, son of Rudy, as head of the World Cup task force and has included in his “One Big Beautiful Bill” funding of 625 million dollars for security and logistics of the event. “We want these games to be safe, but also an opportunity to celebrate America,” Giuliani said, trying to reassure about visa procedures and the fact that stadiums will not be used for immigration police operations.
Sport, moreover, is an area that Trump has always paid close attention to: he has attended the Super Bowl, the Daytona 500, UFC matches and the collegiate wrestling championship, aware of the symbolic and media potential of these events. Less tied to soccer, which he now embraces thanks also to his personal relationship with Infantino, the president sees the World Cup as a chance to unite patriotism, business and entertainment. But the risk, after the boos in East Rutherford, is that the 2026 edition will end up becoming not a tribute to American grandeur, but a celebration of the opposition to Trump.
