Officials from the joint North American bid for the '26 FIFA World Cup said that voting countries' response to President Trump's tweet about support for the bid "has been positive, because it shows that the White House wants to host the World Cup and will work with FIFA's requirements on allowing visas to foreigners coming to the U.S. for the tournament," according to Grant Wahl of SI.com. While the officials said that they "would prefer Trump not threaten other countries, they like the fact that he’s engaged and that he brought up the World Cup bid" in Monday's press conference with Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari. Trump’s tweet came after U.S. Soccer President Carlos Cordeiro and other bid officials "met last week at the White House with officials, including Jared Kushner." FIFA also "issued a warning regarding the use of political influence in the bidding process, though did not mention Trump by name" (SI.com, 5/2). ESPN.com writes African soccer federations are "playing their cards close to the vest about who they will back to host" the World Cup, in reaction to Trump's "request that Africa supports" the joint North American bid. Officials from the Nigerian, Ghanaian, Rwandan, Zambian, Ethiopian, and Zimbabwean federations were "all contacted for comment, but refused to go public with their votes" (ESPN.com, 5/3).
UP IN THE AIR: The GUARDIAN's Bryan Graham writes with "less than six weeks" until the '26 World Cup host country is decided at the 68th FIFA Congress in Moscow, a "constellation of factors have narrowed the race and left the North American bid looking as vulnerable as ever -- with no shortage of blame at the foot of Trump." Trump has "managed to complicate America’s path to victory significantly." There are the administration’s foreign policies, which "include the controversial travel ban against mostly Arab nations." There also was the "global shock prompted by Trump’s rhetoric in describing poorer countries, including the 'shithole countries' in Africa." That was all "before this week and Trump’s thinly veiled quid pro quo appeals to foreign nations to support the bid." Morocco for its part has "put together a compelling underdog bid, casting perceived weaknesses as strengths." There is "no question anything but a North American win in June would be a major surprise, the magnitude of upset that requires a constellation of factors to align correctly." Yet, one by one "those tumblers appear to be falling in place" (THEGUARDIAN.com, 5/3).
