What impact has Trump claimed for the World Cup on US soccer?

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Trump said the World Cup helped popularise soccer in the United States
Trump claimed that the 2026 World Cup helped further popularise soccer in the United States, where he said NFL, baseball and basketball still dominate. He also said the tournament showed the US is a soccer country, and added that it is likely to remain so. In the same remarks, he pointed to his 20-year-old son Barron as a “huge fan” of the game.
Trump linked the tournament to wider US interest in soccer
Trump told a FIFA reception with Gianni Infantino at Trump Tower in New York that the World Cup had helped popularise soccer in the United States. He framed this as a shift from the country’s long-standing dominance by sports such as NFL, baseball and basketball.
He said the tournament proved the US is a soccer country
Trump said “it turned out we were a soccer country,” and stated his view that the US would keep that identity. His comments were tied directly to the role of the 2026 tournament in boosting the sport’s presence in the US.
He raised personal family support for the sport
Trump also said his son Barron, 20, was a huge fan of soccer. This was included alongside his broader claim that the World Cup had strengthened the sport’s standing in the US.

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What impact has Trump claimed for the World Cup on US soccer?

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