NEW YORK — FIFA President Gianni Infantino declared the 2026 World Cup a success on Friday, saying the expanded tournament had united people around the world as it heads into Sunday’s final between Argentina and Spain.
Standing alongside U.S. President Donald Trump at Trump Tower in New York, Infantino credited the United States for helping deliver what he described as the biggest and most successful World Cup in history.
“The American dream, Mr. President, came to reality,” Infantino said. “We united the world.”
Trump hosted Infantino and international football figures ahead of the World Cup final and praised the tournament as “one of the all-time greatest sporting events in history.”
“So good luck to Spain and Argentina on Sunday, and may the best team win,” Trump said.
Infantino also thanked Trump for his support throughout the tournament.
“This World Cup would not have been such an incredible success without you,” the FIFA president said.
Earlier in the day, Infantino addressed the United Nations during a session focused on youth mental health, describing football as a universal language capable of bringing people together across political and cultural divides.
“We hear many times that we live in a divided world,” Infantino said. “But this World Cup has shown us that there are many more things that bring us together than things that divide us.”
The 2026 edition is the largest World Cup in history, featuring 48 teams and 104 matches across the United States, Canada and Mexico.
FIFA expects total attendance to reach approximately **6.7 million spectators**, setting a new World Cup record despite concerns before the tournament over ticket prices and travel restrictions.
According to FIFA, stadiums have been close to full throughout the competition, with only the third-place playoff and the final remaining.
“We have seen millions of people coming together in a peaceful way, in a joyful way,” Infantino said. “This is the strongest message ever and this is the message on which we have to build our future — a future of community and a future of unity.”
While largely free of major security incidents, the tournament has also generated political controversy.
FIFA faced criticism after lifting U.S. forward Folarin Balogun’s red-card suspension following Trump’s public intervention, while Argentina’s players have drawn complaints from the British government over a banner referencing the Falkland Islands after their semifinal victory over England.
Infantino reiterated FIFA’s commitment to supporting youth mental health initiatives and said football’s ability to connect people remained one of the sport’s greatest strengths.
“In two days, we will know if Spain or Argentina will be the world champion,” he said. “But what we know already is that football has definitely become that universal language that everyone speaks because everyone wants to come together.”
Source: Saudi Gazette