The president of FIFA, Gianni Infantino, was optimistic this Wednesday about the success of the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico, and predicted a great economic impact of the competition.
“I don’t know if Americans realize what is going to happen (…) This country, Canada and Mexico are going to be turned upside down,” Infantino declared during a business forum held in Miami.
“A horde of happy barbarians is going to come to invade this country and the result is that soccer is going to conquer the United States,” he added.
At the America Business Forum, Infantino wanted to highlight the economic benefits of a competition as followed as the World Cup and encouraged Americans to invest in soccer.
“There is so much potential (…) The World Cup alone has an economic impact of around 40 billion dollars, 200,000 jobs created, and five or six million people who will come to watch games and also enjoy their vacations,” he listed.
Infantino, who spoke from the same stage where President Donald Trump did shortly before, said he had a great relationship with the American president and praised his policies at the head of the country.
“He has been a great help with everything related to the World Cup,” he said of the White House tenant.
“He was chosen quite clearly (as president),” he added. “And he’s just carrying out what he said he would do, so I think we should all support what he’s doing, because he’s doing it quite well, and for FIFA even more so.”
