Donald Trump relishing leading World Cup task force despite co-host 'tensions' | OneFootball

USA president Donald Trump will serve as the chair of a dedicated White House task force for the 2026 World Cup and is relishing the task despite repeatedly antagonising co-hosts Canada and Mexico.

The US won the right to jointly host the upcoming World Cup with its neighbours to the north and south during Trump's first term. Back in the Oval Office after outstripping Democrat candidate Kamala Harris in November's election, Trump has wasted little time riling Canada and Mexico (among many other nations).

Canada's foreign minister Melanie Joly took a particularly firm position on Trump's jibe that he would make the nation America's "51st state". Joly warned: "We're insulted. We're mad. We're angry."

Just last month, Mexico president Claudia Sheinbaum vehemently refuted Trump's allegation that her country's "narco-government" acted as a safe haven for "dangerous cartels".

Donald Trump has take a typically confrontational approach to his second term as president / Andrew Harnik/GettyImages

Trump has not limited himself to verbal barbs. The 45th president has imposed steep tariffs on trade with Canada and Mexico, taxing goods imported from each country by as much as 25%.

When asked whether the heated political climate would complicate the staging of football's biggest tournament, Trump strongly disagreed. "I think it’s gonna make it more exciting," he insisted. "Tension is a good thing."

FIFA president Gianni Infantino, hailed by Trump as the "king of soccer", revelled in the increased influence of the US government. "It's important that everyone who comes to America feels safe and feels welcome and that's why it's important that the government brings together this White House task force chaired by the president himself, it shows the importance of the FIFA World Cups," he beamed.

The task force will "co-ordinate with federal agencies in planning, organising and executing". Vice-president JD Vance will act as vice-chair while an unnamed executive director will deal with the day-to-day demands.

Infantino added: "We have ten million tickets for sale - it's like three Super Bowls every day for one month." Trump lapped it up: "I love what he said - three Super Bowls a day for a month. That's what it is. It's amazing when you think about it, I'd never heard that expression. That's a lot."

The US will host the majority of the 104 matches at the largest iteration of the World Cup, including the final at New Jersey's MetLife Stadium. Mexico boast three host cities while Canada's Toronto and Vancouver will also stage games.