FIFA President Gianni Infantino assured that the 2026 World Cup fulfilled its objective of uniting people from all over the planet and described the tournament as a resounding success, highlighting the support of the President of the United States, Donald Trump, during the organization of the event.
In an event held at the Trump Tower in New York, together with the American president and several international soccer figures, Infantino stated that “the American dream became a reality” thanks to the World Cup, which for the first time brought together 48 teams and was played jointly in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
“We brought the world together,” said the Swiss leader, who repeatedly praised Trump and assured that the tournament “would not have been such an incredible success without his support.” For his part, the US president called the competition “one of the greatest sporting events of all time” and wished Argentina and Spain luck before Sunday’s final at MetLife Stadium.
Record attendance and full stadiums
Infantino highlighted that the 2026 edition broke all attendance records. FIFA estimates that the championship will close with around 6.7 million spectators, the highest figure in the history of the World Cups, in addition to registering practically full stadiums during the 102 matches played so far.
The leader noted that, despite previous concerns about the high price of tickets and immigration policies in North America, millions of fans traveled to experience the tournament.
“Millions of people gathered peacefully and joyfully to celebrate a community. That is the strongest message that this World Cup leaves and on which we must build the future,” he stated.
Football as a unity tool
Hours earlier, Infantino participated in a special session of the United Nations dedicated to youth mental health, where he carried one of the official balls from the final between Argentina and Spain and described it as “a magical object with the power to unite the world.”
The FIFA president insisted that football has proven to be a universal language capable of overcoming cultural, political and language barriers.
“In two days we will know if Argentina or Spain will be world champions. But we already know that soccer is much more than the most popular sport on the planet: it is a universal language that brings everyone together,” he said.
A tournament with controversies off the field
Although the World Cup passed without serious security incidents, it was also marked by some controversies. One of them was Infantino’s decision to lift the suspension of American striker Folarin Balogun following a public recommendation from Trump, a move that generated international criticism.
In addition, the British Government asked FIFA to investigate the Argentine team after its players displayed a banner claiming the sovereignty of the Malvinas Islands after eliminating England in the semifinals.
Even so, Infantino maintained that the overall balance of the tournament is largely positive and reiterated FIFA’s commitment to promoting programs related to mental health and the development of young people through sport.
