Donald Trump met the FIFA president on Friday ahead of the US hosting the World Cup next year
Donald Trump has provided a bizarre response to the impact his newly-imposed tariffs on Canada and Mexico will have on the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Since reclaiming the White House, President Trump’s second term has been marked by a flurry of executive orders, with a strong focus on implementing tariffs. These measures aim to combat what the administration has labeled an ‘extraordinary threat’ stemming from illegal immigration and the influx of dangerous drugs like fentanyl.
Nations such as Canada and Mexico have borne the brunt of these tariffs, escalating tensions and fueling a growing trade conflict between the countries.
As trade tensions heat up, Canada has retaliated by imposing a 25 percent tariff on CA $155 billion worth of U.S. goods, with Mexico signaling plans to follow suit.
Despite these economic disputes, the United States, Canada, and Mexico are still set to co-host the 2026 World Cup. On Friday (March 7), President Trump announced the creation of a dedicated task force to oversee logistics and security for the highly anticipated tournament.
Leading the task force himself, Trump will be joined by Vice President JD Vance to ensure smooth coordination for the massive event.
“This order underscores President Trump’s commitment to showcasing national pride, hospitality, and economic opportunity through sports tourism,” the White House stated in a press release.
When asked about the irony of co-hosting the World Cup with trade rivals Canada and Mexico, Trump’s response was characteristically bold: “I think it’s going to make it more exciting,” he remarked. “Tension’s a good thing.”
Eleven U.S. cities are set to host games for the 2026 World Cup: Philadelphia, Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Houston, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Miami, New York/New Jersey, San Francisco, and Seattle.
Meanwhile, tensions between the U.S. and Canada continue to escalate. On Friday, President Trump claimed that Canada has been “ripping us off for years” and revealed plans to impose a retaliatory tariff ten times harsher than the 25 percent currently in place on Canadian imports. This announcement came just one day after he had temporarily paused the initial tax on imported goods for a month.
Discussing the market impact of his executive orders, Trump remained defiant:
“I’m not even looking at the market,” he stated. “A lot of them are globalist companies that won’t be doing as well because we’re taking back things that have been taken from us years ago. We’ve been treated very unfairly.”
