US President Donald Trump has been accused of being the 'figurehead' of 'the worst deal in history' agreed ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The tournament will be co-hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada, though the majority of matches will be in the US.
Eleven of the 16 host cities are in the States, with its capital Washington D.C. also hosting the heavily criticised World Cup draw last Friday.
Ahead of the tournament, as reported by The Independent, FIFA designed a new 'Host City Supporter' programme for each of the host cities.
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As part of the programme, local organisers would take on the majority of the costs associated with each match.
However, they would then be permitted to sign a number of what are described as 'Host City' deals with local commercial partners to make up those costs in additional revenue.
It is claimed, however, that a major issue has arisen, with many of FIFA's mega-money tournament sponsors not wanting other companies to 'cut across' their deals.
The report adds that some cities are now struggling to recoup the costs of security, transport and fan festivals, which could cost over $250 million.
It is stated that cities are lobbying for a collective $625 million of funding from US federal government - whose leader is the President - but it has not yet been approved and would not fully cover costs in any case.
A spokesperson for the White House told the outlet: "To ensure that the largest World Cup in human history will also be the safest, President Trump secured $625m in the One Big Beautiful Bill for host cities to strengthen safety and security, along with an additional $250m for the next two years to prevent unauthorised drones during tournaments and fan fests."
The agreement of host city contracts for the event has been fairly complex, with The Athletic reporting that each host city can collect revenue from 'fan festivals in non-competing categories'.
It is the limitations of that particular definition, however, that appears to be causing the latest issues.
The first match of the 2026 World Cup will be hosted in Mexico City, as co-hosts Mexico face South Africa in a repeat of the 2010 opener in Johannesburg.
The US have to wait a further two days before their first fixture, with the Group B clash between Qatar and Switzerland taking place in Santa Clara, California.
Topics: Donald Trump, United States, FIFA, Football, FIFA World Cup
Ryan Smart