President Donald Trump has predicted that the upcoming FIFA World Cup would be the most successful in the tournament's history, citing unprecedented ticket demand and strong global interest ahead of the competition's opening matches.
Speaking at the White House on Wednesday (Local time), Trump said organisers had reported record-breaking ticket sales and described the event as a major success even before the first match had been played. "It's the most successful World Cup they've ever had," Trump said.
"They've never sold tickets at that level. They've never sold that many tickets so quickly." The President said he had spoken earlier in the day with FIFA President Gianni Infantino and was told that demand for tickets had exceeded expectations.
"I spoke to Gianni this morning," Trump said. "He's fantastic, and he's the boss. He said there's never been anything close to what's happened." Trump suggested that the scale of interest was particularly notable because football has historically not occupied the same position in American sports culture as it does elsewhere in the world.
"You don't think of soccer in this country," he said. "It's the most successful World Cup they've ever had." The comments came in response to a question about the tournament and concerns raised by some international observers regarding travel and visa access for visiting supporters.
Asked whether fans from overseas would face difficulties entering the United States, Trump said his administration was working to ensure legitimate visitors could attend the event. "We're going to make sure the right people come into our country," the President said.
The World Cup is expected to attract millions of spectators, tourists and media representatives from around the world, making it one of the largest international sporting events ever hosted in North America. The tournament is also expected to generate billions of dollars in economic activity through tourism, hospitality, transportation and related services. Cities hosting matches have spent years preparing infrastructure, security and logistics plans to accommodate the influx of visitors.