2026 World Cup: Donald Trump Makes a Big Announcement
“FIFA’s numbers are far higher than those of any other World Cup in history. It’s a great tribute to the United States of America. Thank you, everyone!” With these words published on Truth, Donald Trump celebrated the tournament’s success, highlighting how the figures recorded by FIFA have reached levels never before seen in previous editions of the event.
In his message, the U.S. president also attributed this result to the role played by the United States, calling it a significant recognition for the country and for its ability to host and showcase global sporting events. It was a brief but enthusiastic statement, through which Trump sought to highlight the significance of the figures released by the international federation and to thank everyone who contributed to the event’s success.
It wasn’t just about reaching the round of 16—a historic achievement for the country. On the evening it managed to beat South Africa 1-0 in the round of 32 of the 2026 World Cup, Canada also set another record. It is the first national team to play a World Cup match “abroad” in a tournament it is also co-hosting. The match, decided by Stephen Eustaquio, was held at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles. A peculiarity—as well as a first—that nevertheless has an all-too-logical explanation.
The schedule for the knockout stage of the 2026 World Cup had, in fact, already been set well before the group stage matches were played. And the schedule was clear: the second-place finisher in Group B (the same group that would have included Italy, had the Azzurri won their playoff against Bosnia) would play its Round of 16 match in Los Angeles. Only the group winner would have continued its run in the tournament in Canada—specifically in Vancouver.
The decisive factor, therefore, was Switzerland’s 2-1 victory over Canada on Wednesday, June 24 (in Vancouver, not coincidentally). The Swiss team’s victory ensured that Yann Sommer, Manuel Akanji, and their teammates would face Algeria in Vancouver in the match scheduled for Friday, July 3, 2026, at 5:00 a.m. Italian time. Canada, for its part, had to travel all the way to Los Angeles for what is so far the most important match in its history. And it also made history for a reason that Japan and South Korea had managed to avoid during the 2002 co-hosted World Cup: playing an away game in their own World Cup.
