(Reuters) – Political and economic tensions between the United States and its 2026 World Cup co-hosts Canada and Mexico will make the tournament more exciting, U.S. President Donald Trump said after signing an executive order to create a task force for the event.
Speaking in the Oval Office alongside FIFA president Gianni Infantino, Trump said the task force, which he will chair, would co-ordinate with federal agencies in planning, organising and executing the 48-team global soccer tournament.
Earlier this week, the Trump administration imposed across-the-board 25% tariffs on goods from Canada and Mexico before announcing on Thursday a one-month reprieve for both countries on goods compliant under a North American trade pact.
When asked about the World Cup in light of the current trade tensions between the three nations, Trump said on Friday, “I think it’s going to make it more exciting.”
“Tension is a good thing, it makes it much more exciting.”
The exemptions for the two largest U.S. trading partners, expire on April 2, when Trump has threatened to impose a global regime of reciprocal tariffs on all U.S. trading partners.
The World Cup will run from June 11 to July 19, 2026. The expanded tournament will feature 104 matches instead of the previous 64 games, including an additional knockout round.
(Reporting by Shifa Jahan in Bengaluru; Editing by Ken Ferris)
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