U.S. President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that Andrew Giuliani, son of former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, will serve as executive director of the presidential task force for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, to be hosted by the U.S., Canada and Mexico.

During Trump’s first term, Andrew Giuliani served as a special assistant to the president and associate director of the Office of Public Liaison. Trump described him as a highly competitive golfer and person.

U.S. President Donald Trump and FIFA president Gianni Infantino attend a meeting of the FIFA Task Force at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., May 6, 2025. REUTERS/Kent Nishimura

In the post on Truth Social, Trump also said Carlos Cordeiro, a FIFA senior advisor, will serve as a task force senior advisor.

“Together this group will help plan the biggest, safest and most extraordinary soccer tournament in history,” Trump said at a task force meeting where FIFA President Gianni Infantino and U.S. Vice President JD Vance were also present.

Trump said he wanted people traveling to America to watch the competition to have a seamless experience during every part of their visit.

The U.S. will also host the first-ever Club World Cup from June 14 to July 13, which will take place across 11 cities.

“America will welcome the world,” Infantino said of the U.S. hosting the two international tournaments.

Infantino said the two events would bring almost $50 billion in economic output to the U.S. and create almost 300,000 jobs.

Vance, who serves as vice chair of the task force, said the group would do everything in its power to make the events successful.

“Of course, everybody is welcome to come and see this incredible event, I know we’ll have visitors from close to 100 countries,” Vance said.

“We want them to come, we want them to celebrate, we want them to watch the game but when the time is up, they’ll have to go home, otherwise, they’ll have to talk to (Homeland Security) Secretary (Kristi) Noem,” he said.

-Reuters

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As Morocco continues to attract global visitors, especially in the sporting segments, infrastructural development is ongoing.

The latest is the Kenitra-Marrakech High-Speed Rail Line (LGV) at Rabat-Agdal train station, paving the way for a new era of ultra-modern rail infrastructure across the country.

The project was launched on Thursday by the monarch, King Mohammed VI. Apart from being a centre of major sporting events, Morocco recently launched a tourism initiative that will make the kingdom the ultimate destination.

The internal transport system is being overhauled. The 430-kilometre project forms part of a $9.6 billion railway development program that will transform the country’s transportation network.

It will be recalled that the 2030 FIFA World Cup is being co-hosted by Morocco along with Spain and Portugal.

It is the first ever transcontinental edition of the World Cup, which also marks the 100th anniversary of the global championship.

According to information from the Moroccan News Agency (MAP), the  Kenitra-Marrakech  LGV reflects Morocco’s strategic vision for sustainable development, particularly the promotion of low-carbon collective mobility solutions.

“This project demonstrates Morocco’s firm determination to continue developing the national rail network,” said an official statement during the ceremony, noting the railway’s role as “the backbone of a sustainable and inclusive transport system.”

The high-speed line will connect Rabat, Casablanca, and Marrakech while serving Rabat and Casablanca airports.

It will drastically reduce travel times, with journeys between Tangier and Rabat taking just one hour, Tangier to Casablanca 1 hour 40 minutes, and Tangier to Marrakech 2 hours 40 minutes — saving over two hours compared to current durations.

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Saudi Arabia would be ready and willing to host a 64-team World Cup in 2034 if FIFA accepts a controversial proposal to expand the tournament from 48, according to the kingdom’s sports minister.

South America’s CONMEBOL has officially suggested staging the centenary 2030 World Cup in Spain, Portugal and Morocco with 64 teams, but the idea has been opposed by some other continental confederations.

Next year’s tournament, hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico, will have 48 countries participating, up from 32 in 2022.

Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al-Faisal told a select group of reporters at the Saudi Arabian Formula One Grand Prix in Jeddah that his country would have no objection to an increase in the numbers for 2034.

“We’re ready, or we will be ready, inshallah (God willing). If that’s a decision that FIFA takes and thinks that that’s a good decision for everyone, then we’re more than happy to deliver on it,” he said.

He pointed to the infrastructure already in place for Islamic pilgrims, with four million people attending Mecca for Umrah during Ramadan this year and five million expected for the Hajj.

 FIFA expected to confirm Saudi Arabia as 2034 World Cup hosts – Riyadh, Saudi Arabia – December 11, 2024 A model of the proposed Roshn Stadium is seen inside the Saudi Arabia World Cup bid exhibition REUTERS/Hamad I Mohammed/File Photo

The global soccer governing body officially announced Saudi Arabia as hosts of the 2034 men’s World Cup in December, a bid that was uncontested but strongly criticised by rights organisations.

The Kingdom has invested heavily in sport over the last few years, but critics accuse it of ‘sportswashing’ its human rights record. The country denies accusations of human rights abuses and says it protects its national security through its laws.

The bid book pledged 15 stadiums, new or refurbished, by 2032 and which are expected to be completed with the help of migrant labour.

Al-Faisal said worker safety was of the highest priority and Saudi organisers were talking regularly with FIFA and 2022 hosts and neighbours Qatar, the first World Cup in the region, to learn from their experience.

He said the death, reported last month, of a worker at the Aramco Stadium construction site in Al Khobar had come after millions of hours without issue.

“Every incident we take seriously, we file an investigation, we look what went wrong,” said the minister. “Unfortunately, in construction, these things happen.”

He said Saudi Arabia was part of the International Labour Organisation and a 2021 Labour Reform Act had abolished the kafala system that binds migrant workers to one employer and prevents them from leaving without the employer’s approval.

Alcohol, prohibited for observant Muslims, is banned in Saudi Arabia and Al-Faisal confirmed the World Cup would be dry.

“The law now here in Saudi is that there’s no alcohol. Will that change in the future? We don’t know. But I don’t see it really affecting our sporting events at all,” he said.

“We’ve had more than 100 international events so far. We’ve had people come from all over the world to attend these sporting events. And everyone’s happy with the hospitality, the setup, the experience that they get.

“I don’t see it as an issue, to be honest. So I hope it’s not going to be an issue”.

Alcohol was not sold at stadiums in Qatar, where drinking in public is illegal, in 2022 but beer was available at designated fan zones and in some hotels.

-Reuters

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