FIFA President Gianni Infantino has congratulated Donald Trump on reclaiming the US presidency, defeating Democratic candidate Kamala Harris.
Trump, who declared victory, will preside over the country as the 2026 World Cup approaches, a tournament the US is co-hosting with Canada and Mexico.
The upcoming World Cup will mark the first time since 1994 that the event returns to North American soil.
Infantino, who met with Trump multiple times during his first term to discuss plans for the World Cup, took to Instagram on Wednesday morning, writing, “Congratulations Mr President! We will have a great FIFA World Cup and a great FIFA Club World Cup in the United States of America! Football Unites the World!”
“You are part of the FIFA team.”
A reminder that under the Biden administration, Gianni Infantino did not get a single invite to the White House. pic.twitter.com/vXV425ZdgO
— Sam Kunti (@samindrakunti) November 5, 2024
The 2026 World Cup will debut an expanded format, increasing from 32 to 48 teams, with 104 matches played across the host nations—a 50% increase in matches.
The new setup involves 12 groups of four teams, significantly extending the tournament’s duration to 39 days. This longer format has sparked concern from European clubs about its impact on the already-packed domestic calendar, as preparation time between domestic seasons and the tournament will drop to just 16 days. Infantino has assured that additional revenue will support grassroots football initiatives worldwide.
Source:
3news.com
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