President Trump threatens political repercussions over 2026 World Cup bid

Martin Rogers | USA TODAY

Show Caption Hide Caption FIFA World Cup Trophy Tour The FIFA World Cup Trophy Tour ceremony with Coca-Cola and FIFA leadership unveil the trophy in New York City.

President Donald Trump waded into the campaign aimed at bringing the 2026 FIFA World Cup to the United States on Thursday, tweeting out a veiled threat to withdraw political support from nations who vote against the bid.

In a wildly surprising development, Trump, who previously has shown little appetite for soccer, appeared to throw his full backing behind the three-pronged bid that would see the U.S., Mexico and Canada potentially act as co-hosts of soccer's biggest tournament.

"The U.S. has put together a STRONG bid w/ Canada & Mexico for the 2026 World Cup," Trump wrote. "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)?"

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

The business mogul turned politician did not specify which countries he was referring to, but the only other contender in the race to be host is Morocco. Due to the political nature of FIFA, soccer's world governing body, and the tactical nature of voting in such matters, it is widely expected that Morocco will have the support of virtually the entire African continent.

Other voting blocks, including those from Europe and Asia, still are seen as very much up for grabs, with the vote due to be finalized June 13, just before the start of this summer's World Cup in Russia.

"From the beginning, we have received strong support from the Canadian, Mexican and United States governments," a statement from the bid committee read, in response to Trump's remarks. "We are grateful for that support and together our three countries are ready to welcome players and fans from around the world to an extraordinary FIFA World Cup in 2026."

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More: Morocco's 2026 World Cup bid masks nation's homosexuality ban

One of the strengths of the bid is that the CONCACAF (North and Central America and the Caribbean) confederation has not staged the tournament since the U.S. did so in 1994.

Africa welcomed the world of soccer in 2010 in South Africa, but the northern part of that continent has never been involved in hosting, and Morocco has had several previous attempts prove unsuccessful.

The controversial nature of Trump's regime and his strong stance on immigration are considered potentially damaging to the bid, although it should be remembered that Trump would be out of office by 2026, even if he were to serve two terms.

The competition would be spread out between the three countries, although the U.S. would be the primary host, with initial plans geared to playing 60 out of 80 games here. In its lobbying, Morocco has pushed hard to highlight its comparative safety record, with far less terrorist attacks, but may be hurt by its poor record regarding the rights of LGBT citizens.

Follow Martin Rogers on Twitter @RogersJourno.