Washington
CNN
—
President Donald Trump on Friday signed an executive order establishing a White House task force for the 2026 World Cup that will oversee preparations for the high-profile tournament.
The task force, first reported by OutKick, will be chaired by Trump. Vice President JD Vance will serve as vice chair and an executive director, to be named later, will run day-to-day operations.
“We’re going to be establishing a task force, a very important task force … and that’s on the FIFA World Cup of 2026 which is, you know, is a big event,” Trump said. “It’s going to be the biggest event, I think.”
The task force will coordinate with federal agencies to plan and execute the massive job of hosting both the 2025 Club World Cup and the World Cup a year later, the draft fact sheet outlines. More than 8 million international visitors are expected to come to the US for the monthlong tournament that kicks off in June 2026. Trump said he does plan to attend some matches.
Trump was president in 2018 when the US won the bid to co-host the tournament with Canada and Mexico and views bringing the expanded 48-team soccer showcase to the US as a significant accomplishment. He at times has had a replica of the World Cup trophy displayed behind his desk in the Oval Office. He said the current tensions with Mexico and Canada will “make it more exciting.”
“It’s a great honor for our country to have it. Actually, it’s a big deal. It’s, I don’t know which is bigger, the Olympics of the World Cup,” Trump said, alluding to the Summer Games coming to Los Angeles in 2028
The president signed the executive order on Friday, a day after CNN reported that travel executives were concerned over the nation’s preparedness to host the quadrennial tournament.
US Travel Association president and CEO Geoff Freeman and MGM Resorts International president and CEO William Hornbuckle previously told CNN Sport they questioned whether the US travel system is prepared to handle the influx of foreign travelers expected in next summer’s soccer extravaganza.
The worries are numerous: Lengthy wait times for fan visa approvals could discourage thousands from trying to come to the US for the tournament. Outdated technology and staffing shortages could lead to long waits for visitors who arrive in the US to clear customs. Long lines to get through security could potentially snake all the way outside of airports.
One of the things, they said, that the federal government could do to start readying was form an interagency task force inside the Trump White House to streamline the preparation process among federal agencies.
Freeman and Hornbuckle said that while they believe Trump takes the task of successfully hosting the tournament seriously, his administration has not yet shown the urgency they’d like. One of the main things they’d like to see is an interagency task force set up by the White House to coordinate planning for the World Cup across the sprawling federal government.
“Most countries have ministries of tourism and sports. We have neither,” Hornbuckle said.
He added, “Trying to pull all of these agencies together and act as one is just very complicated. And without a concentrated effort … struggle is probably not the right word, but we’re concerned where we are vis a vis where we need to get to, is the bottom line.”
However, on Friday, Freeman “applauded” the establishment of the task force, calling it a “critical action” that will “ensure a seamless and secure experience” for all visitors.
“The creation of this task force was a top priority for U.S. Travel and will ensure the U.S. is fully prepared to host the world’s largest sporting event,” Freeman said in a statement to CNN. “We are grateful for the administration’s leadership in bringing together the necessary resources to support the massive influx of travelers, and we are confident this will lay the foundation for a truly transformative mega-decade of events. We look forward to the positive impact this will have on both the travel industry and the nation as a whole.”
The administration, according to the draft fact sheet, is kicking the readiness into high gear.
“President Trump understands the value that major sporting events like this can bring to America and is committed to leveraging these opportunities to promote American excellence,” the draft fact sheet states.
The draft fact sheet suggests that hosting the World Cup is an opportunity to unite the nation and reinforce the United States’ role as a top destination for major world sporting events.
“This initiative aligns with President Trump’s broader economic agenda, using the global spotlight to attract foreign investment and strengthen America’s position as a top destination for sports and tourism,” the draft fact sheet states.
Joining the president for the announcement was FIFA president Gianni Infantino, who said the tournament would create around 200,000 jobs and have an economic impact of around $40 billion. An estimated eight million foreign travelers are expected to come to the US for the tournament, which kicks off in June 2026.
Infantino and Trump also showed off the golden trophy for FIFA’s Club World Cup, which the US will host starting in June and features the best club teams from leagues around the world.
“America will welcome the world. There will be millions of people coming, Mr. President, millions of people,” Infantino said.
“Thank you, Mr. President, for setting up this task force because it is important that everyone that comes to America feels safe, feels welcome,” Infantino added.
“And that’s why it’s important that the government puts together this White House task force chaired by the president himself. It shows the importance of the FIFA World Cups, I should say, because there are many, many topics to deal with, of course.”
“And we want everyone who comes to America and who goes to watch one of these games – we have 10 million tickets for sale. It’s like three Super Bowls every day for one month.”
