Baghdad: US President Donald Trump proposed to FIFA President Gianni Infantino that the World Cup be held in the United States in the future, but without Mexico and Canada as co-hosts. During an event with Infantino, Trump said, "I told him that the United States should be chosen again next time, but this time without Mexico and Canada."

According to National Iraqi News Agency, Infantino suggested a different idea: co-hosting the tournament between the United States and China, which he believes would result in "shorter travel between matches, which the players will like," as he put it. Spain, Portugal, and Morocco are scheduled to host the 2030 World Cup finals, with the opening matches to be held in Argentina, Uruguay, and Paraguay, in celebration of the World Cup's centenary. This move aims to honor Uruguay, which hosted and won the first World Cup in 1930. Saudi Arabia will host the 2034 edition.

Trump considered the decision to suspend the ban on US striker Folarin Balogun to be the most controversial and memorable moment of the 2026 World Cup. Trump jokingly said he was close to intervening to allow the American striker to participate. Trump praised FIFA's disciplinary bodies' decision to temporarily suspend the ban, asserting that the decision did not generate widespread controversy, pointing out that Belgium managed to win the match despite having all of their opposing team's players on the field.