ISTANBUL

US President Donald Trump has tapped Andrew Giuliani, the son of former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, to serve as executive director of his 2026 FIFA World Cup task force ahead of the US co-hosting the tournament next year.

“He’s gonna be great,” Trump said at the inaugural meeting of the task force. “I’ve known him for a long time. He’s a highly competitive golfer, which I mean, really good. And he’s also a highly competitive person and he loves what we’re doing.”

Trump was in his first term as president when the U.S. won the right to host next year’s iconic soccer tournament in a shared bid with Mexico and Canada.

“Together, we will ensure that the 2026 World Cup will be the best-run soccer tournament the world has ever seen,” Trump said.

Referring to FIFA’s head, Gianni Infantino, he added: “This is going to blow every other tournament you did. You’re gonna say how terrible a job you did in the past, because this is so much better, Gianni. This is going to blow ‘em all away.”

Eleven American cities, including Los Angeles, Boston and Miami, will play host to World Cup games, alongside two Canadian cities and three in Mexico.

​​​​​​​According to FIFA, more than 5 million fans are expected to attend the tournament.