Donald Trump's Latest World Cup Threat Raises Major Concern

Donald Trump's latest threat surrounding the 2026 World Cup, which will be co-hosted by the United States, has reportedly prompted major concern.

The US president is set to be present at the draw for the tournament, which will take place on December 5 in the nation's capital of Washington D.C.

Trump has been vocal in the months leading up to the World Cup, and has made several sensational claims.

He told reporters last month that he could threaten to move games away from certain locations if they were 'unsafe' and 'doing a bad job'.

The four host locations that Trump has named as potentially being at threat - Seattle, Boston, Los Angeles, San Francisco - are all part of states that the Democratic Party won in the 2024 US presidential election.

Trump does not have the power to move games himself, though could theoretically put pressure on the parties involved to withdraw from the deal or contact FIFA president Gianni Infantino.

FIFA stated last month that 'safety and security are obviously the government's responsibility and they decide what is in the best interest for public safety'.

Now, according to The Athletic, some host cities have developed concerns over their ability to attract local sponsorships for the World Cup amid Trump's comments.

Host cities can collect revenue from 'fan festivals in non-competing categories', the report adds, which is separate from the stadium sponsors that FIFA use for each match.

Bob Lynch, an ex-partnerships executive at the Brooklyn Nets and Miami Dolphins, told the outlet that Trump's threats had the potential to 'slow down the decision-making process of brands at the [sponsorship] table', adding: "They may say, 'We need to watch and see'. That's a real thing. That does slow down probably conversion on sponsorship deals."

FIFA create new prize ahead of World Cup draw

As part of the draw proceedings, FIFA will also award the inaugural 'FIFA Peace Prize' to an unnamed recipient in the US capital.

The prize was unveiled by Infantino on Thursday.

The FIFA president stated that it is 'fundamental to recognise the outstanding contribution of those who work hard to end conflicts and bring people together in a spirit of peace'.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, the announcement hasn't gone down particularly well with football fans.

There has been speculation over whether Trump - who has never been directly involved with FIFA or football before becoming president - will be the recipient, and Infantino didn't exactly dispel that speculation when asked at the American Business Forum in Miami.

The Italian simply replied (via BBC Sport): "You will see."