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Trump Again Weighs In On Joint North American World Cup Bid

Trump's words could potentially be seen as a threat to countries opposed to the joint bidGETTY IMAGES

President Trump for the second time in a week has "urged other countries to support" the joint North American bid to host the '26 FIFA World Cup and "again implied there might be consequences for those who did not," according to Jere Longman of the N.Y. TIMES. Trump yesterday during a news conference while meeting with Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari at the White House said, “I hope, all African countries and countries throughout the world, that we also will be supporting you and that they will likewise support us in our bid along with Canada and Mexico for the 2026 World Cup.” He added, “We will be watching very closely, and any help that they could give us in that bid, we would appreciate.” Trump on Thursday "praised the bid on Twitter." The host of the '26 World Cup "will be named June 13, a day before the opening match" of the '18 World Cup in Russia. Morocco's bid to host the '26 World Cup has the "public support of the Confederation of African Football, which includes 50-plus national federations, and backing from European federations like France, Russia and Belgium" (N.Y. TIMES, 5/1). USA TODAY's Steve Gardner writes Trump's words "could potentially be seen as a threat" to countries that oppose the North American bid. That would be "in violation of FIFA's code of ethics, which prohibit government interference in countries' soccer federations" (USA TODAY, 5/1).

STAY UNDER THE RADAR: YAHOO SPORTS' Leander Schaerlaeckens wrote whatever help Trump "believes he’s contributing is more likely to backfire than actually buttress the bid." This "isn’t a partisan point" and it "isn’t even necessarily about the violation of FIFA rules -- which are unlikely to result in significant punishment for the bid." This is about "anti-American sentiment." The biggest issue with the U.S.-led bid is that it "includes the United States." The FBI and DOJ were the "primary forces" behind the fall of former FIFA President Sepp Blatter and other FIFA officials. A lot of soccer nations "haven’t forgotten that" and are "not exactly grateful." Every soccer federation "will have a vote" in assigning the '26 World Cup, and a lot of them "still harbor resentment toward the U.S. for shattering the lucrative status quo and ushering in an era of increased scrutiny and accountability." The only hope Morocco has "ever had in landing this World Cup is that voters would rather like to deal a blow to the United States for political reasons." All that can sink the North American bid is the "growing animosity towards America." Trump is the "very face of anti-Americanism in 2018." The "best thing to do for Trump, and indeed all American politicians, is to lay low." This product "doesn’t need selling" and it "especially doesn’t need public pressure from the very person who has likely damaged its chances the most" (SPORTS.YAHOO.com, 4/30).

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