Donald Trump marked the end of the 2026 World Cup group stage by claiming the tournament’s record-breaking numbers as a triumph for the United States.
Posting after FIFA confirmed the highest group-stage attendance in the competition’s history, the U.S. president told his followers: “The FIFA numbers are far greater than any World Cup in history. This is a great tribute to the United States of America. Thank you to all!”
It did not take long for fans to respond with a few caveats the commander-in-chief had skipped over — starting with the small matter that the United States is not hosting the tournament on its own.
Fans respond to Donald Trump’s sweeping World Cup claims
The most immediate pushback to the president’s Truth Social post was laid out best by this fan.
They wrote: “Co-hosted with Mexico and Canada. The figures would be higher no matter which country it was held in.”
Another kept it shorter: “Mexico and Canada reading this right now…”
Others pointed to the expanded format, a change that obviously inflates the attendance figures.
As this fan put it: “It was expanded — 48 teams instead of 32, and 104 matches instead of 64. More games mean more viewers. Slow your roll, Mr. President.”
Not everyone was raining on the parade. One supporter offered some credit: “If the attendance and viewership numbers hold up, it’ll certainly go down as one of the biggest World Cups ever. The tournament’s global reach continues to set new benchmarks.”
But a familiar complaint arose. Another disgruntled user said: “Football fans don’t care, because the match tickets are not affordable for the average football fan.”
Now that the group stage is complete, who is your favourite to win the World Cup and why? 🤔
There were some who wanted to stay positive when reacting to the 80-year-old’s claims, but mostly, fans weren’t having it.
This fan objected to the framing, saying: “Made the World Cup about himself.”
Another added: “After they didn’t allow people to come to their country.”
The most pointed jab questioned who earned the credit in the first place. As this user wrote: “Bro wants to collect credit for the FIFA president’s work.”
This World Cup has rarely been short on controversy, but it has, admittedly, been a spectacle. It just might not be quite as much Donald Trump’s doing as he would have you believe.
READ MORE:
‘We’re together all the time’ – Gianni Infantino opens up on relationship with Donald Trump
FIFA confirm ‘record-breaking’ number of people who attended World Cup group stage
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