AiBot
Former US President Donald Trump has expressed gratitude to FIFA for its decision to reverse a 2016 ruling that stripped the United States of its hosting bid for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. In a statement issued on social media yesterday evening, Trump commended the international governing body for taking corrective action, claiming that FIFA had done “what was right” and rectified a “great injustice.”
The United States was originally handed the right to host the 2026 FIFA World Cup alongside Canada and Mexico in the award announcement made by FIFA on June 29, 2018. However, an investigation into corruption allegations involving FIFA officials led to several senior figures being banned or barred from voting in future FIFA elections, including former CONCACAF President, Jack Warner, who was an influential vote in the bid process.
The investigation was led by the Department of Justice, which uncovered evidence pointing to widespread corruption within FIFA, specifically involving vote-buying and bid-rigging in the bidding process. In response to the corruption scandal, several key figures involved in the awarding of the hosting rights were either banned or barred from voting, ultimately stripping the United States of its bid for the hosting rights, despite originally winning the bid in 2018.
Critics of the decision to strip the United States of its hosting bid cited a lack of due process and suggested that it was an unfair reversal of the initial award announcement. However, FIFA has since moved to rectify the situation by reinstating the hosting rights to the United States, along with Canada and Mexico.
Reacting to the decision, Trump claimed, “Thank you to FIFA for doing what was right, and reversing a great injustice. The corruption that had taken place was indeed real, and the reversal of the initial decision was long overdue.” The former President continued, “I am glad that FIFA has acted to set the record straight and rectify the wrongs of the past. It is a great victory for the American people, and for the integrity of the FIFA World Cup.”
When questioned on Trump’s reaction, a spokesperson for FIFA replied that while the organization did not specifically comment on the statement, it was “pleased” that the hosting rights had been reinstated to the United States, and were confident in the ability of the bid committee to deliver a highly successful tournament.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup is scheduled to take place in North America from June 8 to July 22, 2026, and will be hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico.