FIFA has opened an office inside Trump Tower in New York City as it steps up preparations for the 2026 World Cup in North America, world football's governing body announced.
鈥楩IFA is a global organisation and to be global, you have to be local, you have to be everywhere, so we have to be in New York,鈥� FIFA president Gianni Infantino said at an event in Manhattan.
鈥楽o today, we are opening an office of FIFA here in Trump Tower.鈥�
FIFA already has offices in Miami and the move deepens ties between Infantino and US president Donald Trump.
Infantino attended Trump's inauguration earlier this year, has appeared alongside the US President at the Oval Office and joined him on a recent visit to Qatar and Saudi Arabia.
鈥楾hanks, of course, to President Trump as well, who is a big fan of soccer, (together with) the whole family,鈥� added Infantino, who was speaking ahead of the semi-finals of the Club World Cup taking place at the MetLife Stadium just across the Hudson River from Manhattan.
The first 32-team Club World Cup concludes this weekend, while the World Cup in June and July next year will be the first to feature 48 teams.
Eleven of the 16 venues in 2026 will be in the United States, with three in Mexico and two in Canada. The final will take place in the MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
鈥榃e have received such a big support from the government and from the President with the White House Task Force for the FIFA Club World Cup and for the FIFA World Cup next year,鈥� Infantino said before declaring the ongoing tournament 鈥榓n incredible success鈥�.
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