In the next four years, Donald Trump will have the responsibility of leading a country that is divided and facing significant challenges, especially in economic and immigration terms. Additionally, during his second term in the United States, the two most relevant global sports events will take place: the 2026 World Cup and the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.
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Although Canada and Mexico will also be co-hosts of the upcoming World Cup, 78 out of the 104 matches will take place in the United States.
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Both candidacies were assigned during the first Trump administration and a few months ago, while still a candidate, the president-elect claimed in his friend Bill Belichick's podcast, the coach who won six Super Bowls with the Patriots in the NFL, that "the World Cup and the Olympics, I was responsible for getting both, actually."
The tradition for the leader of the host nation consists of handing over the trophy during the World Cup final (which will take place in New York) and officially kicking off the Summer Olympics. However, outside of these events, the federal government has limited involvement.
This is because, thanks to the extensive sports infrastructure in the United States, investments will be minimal and the organization will be in the hands of private entities.
However, these two events can serve as an opportunity to reflect on the evolution of American reality in social issues, integration, and cultural diversity, areas in which Trump frequently takes controversial positions, as demonstrated by his first executive orders on Monday, January 20th.
Furthermore, the president-elect's connection to football and the Olympics is not the same.
Trump and Infantino have a good relationship
FIFA leader Gianni Infantino showed his support for Trump through his Instagram profile, even congratulating him before the media declared him the winner during the early hours of Wednesday, November 6.
In January 2020, during the World Economic Forum in Davos, Trump referred to Infantino as "my great friend." Recently, while the draw for the new Club World Cup that will also take place in the United States was being celebrated, the new president mentioned in a video that "they are led by a man named Gianni, I only know him as Gianni (Infantino), he is a winner, he is the president, and I am also president, and we have known each other for a long time."
The positive connection between FIFA and Trump could be quite beneficial, especially for resolving the diplomatic challenge of Iran's almost certain qualification for the 2026 World Cup.
Why is Trump's relationship with the Olympics tense?
Unlike Trump's praise for Infantino at Davos in 2020, he has not shown the same public affection towards the President of the Olympic Committee, German Thomas Bach.
The Olympic Committee also decided not to congratulate the Republican for his recent victory in the presidential elections, arguing the impartiality of the organization and the movement.
Trump and Bach had a meeting at the White House just over seven years ago, a meeting that has become part of Olympic anecdotes due to how poorly it unfolded, as it was later revealed. "Pray for our world," were Bach's words during a phone call that day in Washington.
Last year, during Paris 2024, Trump was one of those who incorrectly identified two Olympic boxing champions as men and claimed he would work to "keep men out of women's sports". However, the International Olympic Committee, under Bach's leadership, repeatedly supported these athletes, debunking the fake news about it.
Likewise, Trump described as "a disgrace" the recreation of "The Last Supper," the iconic painting by Leonardo da Vinci, which was part of the Opening Ceremony of the Paris Olympic Games.
Ronald Reagan in Los Angeles 1984, Bill Clinton in Atlanta 1996, and George W. Bush in Salt Lake City 2002, for the Winter Olympics, participated in the opening ceremonies as presidents of the United States, and it is anticipated that Trump will do the same in 2028, although Bach will not attend with him as he will leave the presidency of the IOC in 2025.
Among the candidates emerging to lead the International Olympic Committee are the British Sebastian Coe and the Spanish Juan Antonio Samaranch Salisachs, son of the individual who led the Olympic movement for 21 years.