Full of his enthusiasm for the 2026 World Cup, Donald Trump declared, this Friday, December 5, that American football, called “soccer” in the United States, should be renamed. The American president judged that the round ball really deserved the name “football”.
“We have a little conflict with something else called ‘football.’ “It doesn’t make sense when you think about it,” he added.
For Americans, the word “football” spontaneously refers to American football, this sport which is mainly played by hand, completely different from what the rest of the world knows under the same name. While the United States is, like every year, suspended from the final of the NFL championship, called the Super Bowl, Fifa boss Gianni Infantino took care to emphasize for the American public that the 2026 World Cup would, in terms of importance, be the equivalent of 104 Super Bowls.
Golf, sports de combat, sports automobiles
Passionate about sports of all kinds, Donald Trump has developed a particular passion for football. A passion that continues to grow as the 2026 World Cup approaches, which will take place next summer in the United States, Mexico and Canada. The American president has never had a devouring personal passion for “soccer”. Another advantage of football and the 2026 World Cup in his eyes: the sporting event represents an opportunity for the American president to shine on the world stage. “We have sold more tickets than any country at this stage,” assured the American president, on the eve of the draw for this extraordinary tournament, the first with 48 teams.
Donald Trump obviously attended this ceremony in Washington, in the company of Fifa boss Gianni Infantino, with whom he has a very demonstrative friendship. He took the opportunity to pull a few diplomatic strings by meeting the leaders of Mexico and Canada, countries which will host several matches and which are especially targeted by its vast protectionist offensive.
Passionate about golf, the billionaire also follows American football closely, to the point of making virulent public comments on refereeing rules. He is keen on combat sports and motor sports, disciplines closely associated with his “MAGA” movement. (Make America Great Again, ndlr). But his interest in football undoubtedly soared from the moment the United States entered the fray in 2017, during his first mandate and with his blessing, in the competition for the organization of the 2026 World Cup, joining Canada and Mexico.
The 2026 World Cup, a showcase for Donald Trump
According to the American press, the president’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, was very actively involved in ensuring that this three-way candidacy was successful. Today, the same Jared Kushner plays an essential, albeit informal, role in his father-in-law’s hot diplomatic files. The Republican, who chairs a working group dedicated to the 2026 World Cup, wants to make this competition, like the Los Angeles Olympic Games in 2028, showcases of his “golden age of America”.
Donald Trump was also entrusted with the World Cup trophy itself, and joked that he would like to keep it. In the meantime, the billionaire has already been entitled to a medal, that of the first Fifa Peace Prize which was awarded to him, enough to console him a little for not having received the Nobel.
If he is not a football fanatic, Donald Trump is therefore ultra-sensitive to celebrity. The former reality TV host, who likes to surround himself with stars, recently made much of his meeting with Cristiano Ronaldo. The Portuguese superstar, who plays for the Saudi club Al Nassr, was invited to a gala dinner given in honor of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Ben Salman.
Following the meeting, the White House released a video created by artificial intelligence, which shows the 79-year-old president and the 40-year-old attacker making a few passes in the Oval Office.
