A report suggests that President Trump’s “sh*thole countries” remark and proposed travel bans, has made FIFA officials resistant to the idea of granting the United States the right to host the World Cup in 2026.
According to sources to the Financial Times, the “Donald Trump effect” has caused some FIFA officials to favor awarding the 2026 World Cup to Morocco. That “effect” reportedly stems from the president’s use of the words “sh*thole countries,” when referring to certain African nations.
Another report says that Muslim countries, bothered by the president’s proposed travel ban impacting countries with deep ties to terrorism which happen to be majority-Muslim, are hesitant to cast their vote for the U.S. The source, a former European soccer official, said “A lot of people are unhappy with the US, it’s the Trump thing.”
President Trump has been active in the process of trying to win the bid for the United States.
In April, the President tweeted:
The U.S. has put together a STRONG bid w/ Canada & Mexico for the 2026 World Cup. It would be a shame if countries that we always support were to lobby against the U.S. bid. Why should we be supporting these countries when they don’t support us (including at the United Nations)?
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 26, 2018
While the politics of the U.S. bid may be unpopular with FIFA, the price tag attached to the American proposal may force to see things differently. The U.S. bid is estimated at $14 billion. A hefty sum for an organization such as FIFA, which has endured numerous corruption scandals and struggled to raise funds as a result.
According to the Hill, “The 2018 World Cup will begin next month in Moscow, while the following tournament in 2022 will be held in Qatar.”
Follow Dylan Gwinn on Twitter @themightygwinn
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