Trump is betting the house on sports but it’s a huge risk… here’s why it could backfire

He began his presidency by firing shots around the world. Soon, though, he’ll be hosting everyone on his own turf.

Donald Trump, fresh off the trade wars that sent shockwaves across the planet, will be the sitting president during the 2026 World Cup, which the US (along with the neighbors he’s angered, Mexico and Canada) is set to host.

In 2028, the Olympics come to Los Angeles, and while the games are still three years away, experts are already warning of chaos and financial meltdown.

Meanwhile, most of the world’s major soccer clubs will soon head to the states for FIFA’s inaugural 32-team expanded Club World Cup.

It’s shaping up to be a busy few years for sport and America, which are intertwined perhaps more closely now than ever before. So how will a Trump presidency play out in the world of athletics?

Here, the Daily Mail tries to navigate the rhetoric and forecast the impossible. Strap in for a bumpy, Trumpy ride.

FIFA president Gianni Infantino has already cozied up to President Trump in his first 100 days

In November, while much of the rest of the sporting world was digesting the outcome of the US election, Infantino was one of the first to send his congratulations to Trump on social media

FIFA, the Club World Cup and the World Cup

In November, while much of the sporting world was slowly digesting the outcome of the US presidential election, FIFA president Gianni Infantino was one of the first to congratulate Trump on social media.

The Swiss-Italian launched his charm offensive, and ramped it up on the day of President Trump’s inauguration – which Infantino attended. FIFA sent out a press release informing the world that its president thanked Trump for referencing the organization and Infantino ‘by name’ during a victory rally – he called their friendship a ‘great’ one. 

It’s not a major surprise that they appear to get on so well. Both are men of a certain standing – and age (Infantino 55 and Trump 78) – who enjoy the finer things in life. 

Both see themselves as the major international players they are, and each has something to gain from their relationship.

In September, FIFA opened a 60,000-square-foot office in Miami, just a few hours south of Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence.

Regardless of the blossoming bromance, there are real concerns. 

Trump’s overhaul of government spending, and his reliance on Elon Musk, has raised genuine fears that money for the full security bill – which runs up to $625 million – for the 11 US cities hosting World Cup matches, will not be forthcoming.

Atlanta, Boston, Seattle, Kansas City and Philadelphia have all enlisted lobbyists as they seek federal funding, according to The Athletic.

The 82,500-seat MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, which will host the World Cup final next year

Organization and security as a whole at the Copa America tournament were roundly criticized

One MLS insider, however, does not believe the threat to funding will be an issue.

‘Trump will pay and make sure whatever needs to happen happens so he looks good at the final when he’s standing next to Infantino and presenting the trophy,’ they explained to the Daily Mail.

Whatever happens, some sort of solution to how the US will pay for the biggest sporting event on the planet will need to be found. 

Last year’s Copa America, held in the US, saw crowd trouble, poor pitches and often half-empty stadiums.

The final match between Argentina and Colombia in Miami was delayed by 80 minutes when ticketless fans forced their way into Hard Rock Stadium for a glimpse of Lionel Messi and Co in shocking scenes.

In the semifinals, Colombia fans attacked the families of Uruguay players.

Overall organization and security at the tournament were roundly criticized, and a repeat for the World Cup is unthinkable.

A repeat of the shocking scenes of Copa America fan unrest at the World Cup is unthinkable

The Copa America final was delayed by 80 minutes because ticketless fans tried to break into the stadium

President Trump established a White House Task Force in March 2025 headed by Andrew Giuliani to deal with any visa issues that arise for the expected 10 million visitors. It’s an early and promising indication of the direction travel coordination will go in. 

While the Trump administration is touting the task force as its own doing, the Daily Mail revealed back in July 2023 – during President Joe Biden’s term – that such a body was set to be established.

Trump, whose son Barron played for the academy at DC United and has been pictured in an Arsenal jersey, will likely see the tournament as an opportunity to tell the world his America is working – that he has ‘made America great again’.

Audience figures are expected to dwarf those of US sports as the 2022 World Cup final amassed around 1.5 billion viewers, according to FIFA – that’s around eight times the usual Super Bowl audience. 

In other words, it will be a chance to show off, and Trump likes those.

Trump enjoys being given a chance to show off; he is pictured at a college football game in 2023

Trump welcomes the 2024 World Series winners Los Angeles Dodgers to the White House

A cross-party Congressional Soccer Caucus works to promote the sport in the US. The widely respected group may need to do some heavy lifting over the coming months as Trump’s America seeks to fit in with the tournament’s messaging of unity.

Well before Trump’s return, FIFA launched its World Cup branding: ‘WE ARE 26 is a rallying cry,’ Infantino said at the May 2023 launch, remembering to include Canada and Mexico. 

‘It is a moment when three countries and an entire continent collectively say: “We are united as one to welcome the world and deliver the biggest, best and most inclusive FIFA World Cup ever.”‘

At a time when Trump is continually referring to Canada as ‘the 51st state’ while belittling its former prime minister, calling him ‘Governor Trudeau,’ unity seems far away.

His comments caught the attention of Jesse Marsch, the American in charge of Canada’s national team, who was quick to hit back.

Canada head coach Jesse Marsch is among those to condemn Trump for his ’51st state’ jibes

‘If I had one message to our president it’s lay off the ridiculous rhetoric about Canada being the 51st state,’ he said in a press conference at the Concacaf Nations League finals in February. ‘As an American I am ashamed of the arrogance and disregard we have shown one of our oldest, strongest and most loyal allies.’

Since Trumps return, hockey spectators in Canada have been booing the American national anthem at matches.

As for Mexico, with Trump’s Executive Order 14172 – which changed the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America – the crisis at the border and his stance on immigration, things are not looking friendly there either.

Cracking down on the border may also impact logistics next year. Each host will play their group games in their own country, but would have to cross the border for the knockouts.

Trump doesn’t see any problem, though.

An ice hockey match between the US and its 2026 World Cup co-host Canada began with three fights in the first nine seconds

‘Tension is a good thing,’ Trump said when asked how relations with the co-hosts would affect planning

‘Tension is a good thing,’ he said when asked how relations with the co-hosts would affect planning. ‘I think it makes it much more exciting.’

The Club World Cup will be a test run for many things, including spectators. 

A prize pot of $1 billion – which could see Manchester City and Chelsea earn as much as $130 million – will attract big teams, but will it attract the fans?

In February, the Daily Mail revealed FIFA had drastically slashed ticket prices amid concerns over a lack of interest. 

Half-empty stadiums will not meet Trump’s approval.

All 11 US stadiums are NFL venues ranging from 65,000 to more than 80,000 seats. New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium, which seats 82,500 spectators, will stage the final on July 19.

‘This will be Trump’s World Cup,’ another MLS executive told the Daily Mail. ‘The nation will celebrate its 250th birthday during the tournament, which is something that has not gone unnoticed. The president will be front and center. He needs it to be a success.’

Pressure on Poch?

President Trump will be keeping an eye on America’s performance, and that will turn up the heat on head coach Mauricio Pochettino, assuming he still has the job by then.

The Argentinian is already under a microscope after a less than spectacular start to his reign. The team lost three out of eight matches, including two home matches in April against Canada and Panama.

Team USA’s qualification of for next summer is already guaranteed by virtue of hosting duties, they will also be among the top seeds for December’s group stage draw, keeping them away from the toughest opponents. 

The fact that this is a 48-team World Cup, with 32 teams reaching the second round, adds a further safety net, but it also brings more pressure.

Trump asked Infantino whether the US could win the World Cup. His answer: Yes. 

‘With our President, that likes to put pressure, that is going to be good,’ Pochettino said in a recent interview after learning of the ask. ‘We are ready to deliver.’

Mauricio Pochettino has struggled to make his mark on a USA team facing huge expectations

Los Angeles 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games

As revealed by the Daily Mail last month, the Los Angeles Games are at risk of a financial meltdown. Sponsors are dropping out, executives are resigning and costs continue to spiral.

International anger at Trump‘s tariffs and delays in transportation projects designed to get fans to the events aren’t helping. 

Governor Gavin Newsom (D-CA), meanwhile, is facing criticism for his involvement as the state is still reeling from damage caused by January wildfires. One protest group insists the games are an ‘unacceptable gamble of public money.’

Eric Sheehan, a spokesman for NOlympics LA, said, ‘Everything that we were told about these Olympics from the start has turned out not to be true.’

The deadly wildfires put a huge strain on the city’s budget. Subsequently, Newsom rebranded the 2028 event as the ‘Recovery Games’ and announced, ‘LA Rises,’ a private-sector initiative which he said was ‘looking at reimagining LA 2.0’. 

But that has sparked fears of a ‘land grab’ for developers and prompted calls for the Olympics to be moved to another US city.

Residents in LA are unhappy at the cost of the Olympic Games as they rebuild from the wildfires 

In a March 31 budget update delivered to the city council, LA28 said its projected costs rose by $267 million. Organizers still predicted a balanced budget, but only with the help of a $569 million increase in ‘tickets and hospitality’ revenues.

City officials say they have no ability to foot the bill for cost overruns as their own budget is said to be in dire straits – the fires caused a projected $1 billion black hole. 

Some repairs are unlikely to be completed before the Olympics, and the city’s budget woes appear to be delaying crucial transportation projects for the influx of millions of fans.

LA28 started dropping less popular sports from the main city venues – canoe slalom, for instance, has been moved to Oklahoma City.

There are fears that Trump could throw things off further with his economic and immigration policies. 

Perhaps more than any other sporting event, the message of the Olympics is one of inclusivity. It wouldn’t be a great look for officials, sponsors or broadcast partners if the 2028 Games took place against a backdrop of mass deportations.

Brands may become reluctant to get involved, seeing their backing as an endorsement of a regime whose morals do not align with their own. 

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) is seeking new backers as deals with Panasonic, Bridgestone and Toyota come to a halt.

One veteran Olympic insider believes Trump may lean on his pals, such as Musk, especially as the impact of his tariffs bite. 

‘Tesla as an Olympic sponsor? Don’t bet against it,’ the insider told the Daily Mail.

There will be a big job for incoming IOC President Kirsty Coventry (left)

‘Tesla as an Olympic sponsor? Don’t bet against it,’ one veteran insider told Mail Sport

Trump will be a big challenge for incoming IOC President Kirsty Coventry, who delivered what some saw as a misstep in her first interview after being elected. When quizzed about how she would handle Trump, the Zimbabwean ‘golden girl’ (per Robert Mugabe), said she has ‘been dealing with, let’s say, difficult men in high positions since I was 20 years old.’

Public relations experts in the room winced. She did, at least, add that her ‘firm belief is that President Trump is a huge lover of sports’. 

Coventry and Trump may be on a collision course, though. The President will be watching closely, as he already said he’ll refuse visas for trans athletes seeking to enter the country and signed an executive order banning trans athletes from women’s sports.

The Olympics’ entry rules on gender seem basic under Coventry: If your passport says you are female, you can compete in the female category – though, this doesn’t address athletes who live under governments that make it difficult or illegal for them to change their gender on their passport. 

While legendary former British Olympian and peer Sebastian Coe, who was beaten by Coventry in the race to run the Olympics, has introduced gender testing to World Athletics in his role as head of the sport’s governing body – in the form of cheek swabs and blood tests – it remains to be seen if the IOC will follow suit.

LIV Golf

Donald Trump loves three things: golf, a dispute and disruption. So it comes as no surprise that he has been glowing about the impact of the Saudi-backed LIV series, which has upended the traditional golf order by poaching some of the sport’s biggest names on mega-money contracts, and hosted its fifth event of the season in April at his namesake Miami course.

Trump, who sees himself as the world’s greatest deal-maker, believes he will be able to bring an end to the conflict dividing the sport following LIV’s breakaway. Trump invited senior PGA officials and pro-golfer Tiger Woods to the White House in an attempt to kickstart a reconciliation that has yet to materialize.

Trump with Yasir Al Rumayyan, the Saudi PIF governor and Newcastle chairman who runs LIV Golf 

The President landed Marine One on the course at Trump National Doral, where LIV’s fifth event of the season took place

Trump keeps a replica World Cup trophy in the Oval Office, alongside a picture with his father

What the White House says

The Daily Mail asked the White House what the sporting world should expect from this Trump presidency. 

‘President Trump is a sports enthusiast and legendary showman,’ spokesperson Taylor Rogers said.

‘President Trump’s executive order establishing a White House task force underscores his commitment to showcasing national pride, hospitality and economic opportunity through sports tourism.

‘He will work to deliver spectacular events that showcase American Greatness while ensuring smooth logistics for all world-class athletes and guests in attendance.’