ISTANBUL

US President Donald Trump met with Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney on Friday in Washington following the 2026 FIFA World Cup draw ceremony for the tournament, which the three nations are set to co-host.

The White House confirmed the meeting without providing details, though Trump told reporters before the draw that the three would discuss immigration and trade.

Canadian news outlet CTV, citing the prime minister's office, reported that the three leaders met privately without staff present.

Sheinbaum characterized the meeting as "excellent," and said three leaders discussed "the great opportunity that the 2026 FIFA World Cup represents."

"We agreed to continue working together on trade issues with our teams," the Mexican president wrote on US social media company X.

The meeting comes as US-Canada-Mexico relations have deteriorated into a trade war, driven by Trump's tariffs on imports from both countries – said to be meant to combat illegal immigration, fentanyl trafficking, and trade imbalances – and ahead of the 2026 review of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA).

Trump said Wednesday that the US will "either let (it) expire or work out another deal with Mexico and Canada," accusing its neighbors of taking "advantage of the United States," a common theme for Trump

Canada and Mexico announced a bilateral partnership on trade and security in September.