Donald Trump Has His Say on Canada and Mexico World Cup Tension Concerns | OneFootball

Just over one year out from the FIFA World Cup 2026, United States President Donald Trump says there are no tensions between the co-hosting nations of the U.S., Canada and Mexico, which could pose issues to the tournament.

Speaking alongside FIFA President Gianni Infantino while officially launching the FIFA World Cup Task Force, Trump insisted that there were no issues, despite an ongoing trade war and suggestions towards their northern neighbours that he would like to make Canada the “51st state.”

“I don’t see any tension here, we get along very well with both,” he said, having met with newly-elected Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney earlier in the day.

“We had a great meeting today,” he added. “It went very well. We had a very great meeting and no tension. We want to do what’s right for respective peoples, and that’s what’s going to happen.”

The U.S. will have 11 cities hosting the tournament, accounting for 74 of the World Cup’s 104 matches. Canada will host 13 games in Toronto and Vancouver, and Mexico the same number, shared between Mexico City, Monterrey and Guadalajara.

It's the first time the tournament will be hosted in North America since the U.S. last hosted in 1994.

Trump said that he and Carney spoke about the tournament during their meeting, the first between the two leaders since Carney’s election on April 28, which reportedly focused primarily on international trade and Canada’s sovereignty.

The President’s tone with Carney, Canada’s 24th Prime Minister, is a noted shift from his previous relationship with Canada’s last Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, whom Trump regularly called “Governor” before Trudeau resigned.

Mark Carney (left) met with Donald Trump as Canada's Prime Minister for the first time this week / IMAGO / Newscom / AdMedia

In their Oval Office media availability earlier in the day, Carney diplomatically insisted to Trump in front of the cameras that Canada was “not for sale,” adding that it would “never” be the 51st state. Trump responded with “never say never,” while calling Carney –a former central banker– "a very talented, very good person.”

Carney’s statements, echoed largely by the Canadian public, are also shared by Canada men’s national team head coach Jesse Marsch, who spoke about Trump’s treatment of Canada ahead of March’s Concacaf Nations League Finals.

“If I have one message to our president, it’s lay off the ridiculous rhetoric about Canada being the 51st state,” Marsch said in February. “As an American, I’m ashamed of the arrogance and disregard that we’ve shown one of our historically oldest, strongest and most loyal allies.”

The primary message from Tuesday’s meetings was that the U.S. would go to great lengths to ensure the tournament's success.

Trump stated that the cooperation between the three nations is “total, complete...[The World Cup is] going to be perfect, it’s going to be beautiful,” and that the U.S. is prepared to “not hold back” on security costs.

However, cooperation between the three nations was far from the only topic discussed by the Task Force. The administration and Task Force were clear on the other priority: People and fans are welcome, but they must go home after the tournament.

“We want everyone to come to America. We want everyone to spend a lot of money in America,” said Trump’s Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy. “And so, if you’re coming to see some soccer … go on a road trip, see America. Don’t overstay your visa. Don’t stay too long.”

With the World Cup set to kick off on June 11, 2026, all eyes will be on the organizers and governments putting the tournament together, as well as the national teams of all three nations, which aim to make deep runs as co-hosts.