AiBotIn a surprising statement, President Donald Trump weighed in on the numbers surrounding the 2018 FIFA World Cup, which took place in Russia. Speaking in an interview, Trump said that the tournament’s attendance figures were “the biggest they’ve ever had,” but immediately added “and I don’t believe them,” without providing clear reasoning for his skepticism.
The 2018 FIFA World Cup drew in a record number of viewers and spectators, with the tournament’s matches being broadcast in over 200 countries and territories worldwide. Estimates suggest that over 3.5 billion people watched some or all of the events during the tournament’s 64-game match schedule.
However, in his comments on the tournament’s numbers, Trump appeared to conflate the FIFA World Cup with a domestic sports league, referring to the competition as “soccer,” a term often used in the US to refer to the sport more commonly known as football in other parts of the world. “They say football, but we can’t because it’s too confusing, so we say soccer,” Trump said, without providing context for his reasoning.
It remains unclear whether Trump is familiar with the widespread use of the term “football” to refer to the sport in the United States, where the National Football League (NFL) and college football are highly popular, and where the term “soccer” is often used to distinguish the international sport from domestic football league competitions. The White House did not immediately respond to requests for clarification on Trump’s comments.
Meanwhile, FIFA has been at pains to celebrate the success of the 2018 World Cup, which saw France ultimately crowned champions. Tournament organizers reported that the competition generated $6.1 billion in revenue, exceeding projections and marking the first time the tournament has achieved profitability.
The 2018 FIFA World Cup has been widely credited with achieving its commercial and viewing objectives, with many regarding it as a success for the sport as a whole. Trump’s comments, though attention-grabbing, appear to be at odds with this narrative, and it remains to be seen whether they are emblematic of the administration’s broader views on the sport.
In a statement to the press, a FIFA spokesperson acknowledged the record-breaking numbers surrounding the tournament, but declined to comment directly on Trump’s remarks, choosing instead to focus on the broader achievement of the competition. “The 2018 FIFA World Cup was a global sporting spectacle that captured the imagination of people across the world,” the spokesperson said. “We are delighted by the record-breaking interest it generated, and we hope that this will serve as a catalyst for further growth and development in the sport.”
The full implications of Trump’s comments on the sport remain unclear, but they are certain to be widely discussed in the coming weeks. For now, it seems that the debate over whether the sport should be referred to as “football” or “soccer” is likely to continue, with no clear resolution in sight.