As politicians celebrate and tout the arrival of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, critics are pointing out that some of the loudest voices claiming credit today had little or nothing to do with securing the tournament years ago.
With the 2026 FIFA World Cup upon us, our elected officials throughout New York and New Jersey are touting the economic benefits and international attention the region is set to receive. But a growing debate has emerged over who actually deserves credit for bringing the world’s largest sporting event to MetLife Stadium.
First, we took it upon ourselves to correct the viral photo that Kathy Hochul shared this week. Thank you, A.I.
The controversy intensified after New York Gov. Kathy Hochul posted on social media, celebrating the arrival of the tournament.
“Dream. Team. After years of planning, the World Cup is finally here. What a day,” Hochul wrote.
Yes, but as former U.S. President Barack Obama once famously said, “You didn’t build that. Somebody else built that.”
The World Cup was awarded years before many current politicians held power
The groundwork for the 2026 World Cup was laid long before many of today’s political figures occupied their current positions.
In June 2018, FIFA selected the United States, Canada, and Mexico as co-hosts for the 2026 tournament. At the time, Mikie Sherrill was a first-time congressional candidate running for office and had not yet been elected to Congress.
President Trump was in office and was a huge backer of the plan.
Kathy Hochul was serving as New York’s lieutenant governor under then-Gov. Andrew Cuomo. She’s probably the only one who can somewhat attach her name to this. It was Cuomo’s baby and he was the frontman for the state’s push to win the bid.
New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani was not involved in government and had not yet become a prominent political figure. He was still just a few years off the boat from his home continent of Africa when the planning began.
Murphy and Adams led local host effort for NYC…Zohran who?
The push to secure matches for the New York-New Jersey region was led by former New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy and New York City Mayor Eric Adams, who worked alongside regional business leaders and the New York/New Jersey Host Committee.
In June 2022, FIFA officially announced that the New York-New Jersey region had been selected as one of the tournament’s host sites, with MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford chosen to host eight matches.
Murphy had many quirks as governor. One of them is that he’s one of the few Americans who actually enjoy the game of soccer, but for him, it was also a business and an opportunity to place his wife, Tammy, on the World Cup board.
The effort included years of lobbying, planning, transportation proposals, security preparations, and economic development presentations designed to persuade FIFA officials.
Trump administration played major role in the national bid
President Donald Trump also played a role in his administration’s securing the successful North American bid.
The United States, Mexico, and Canada were awarded the tournament during Trump’s first term in office. Former White House adviser Jared Kushner, a New Jersey native, was reported to have participated in meetings with business leaders and FIFA officials during the bid process.
In February 2024, FIFA announced that MetLife Stadium would host the championship match, making New Jersey the centerpiece of the tournament.
Mikie Sherrill still wasn’t governor. She was hiding in the deepest, darkest depths of Congress, an unknown who was planning to succeed Phil Murphy at the time.
Credit fight heats up as tournament approaches
While current officeholders will oversee logistics and operations during the event, many of the officials now celebrating had little involvement in securing either the World Cup itself or the New York-New Jersey host designation.
With the World Cup expected to generate billions of dollars in economic activity and draw millions of visitors, the political fight over credit is likely to continue right up until kickoff.
“When Trump secured the World Cup during his first term, Mikie Sherrill was a random lawyer running for Congress, Kathy Hochul was lieutenant governor under Andrew Cuomo, and Zohran Mamdani wasn’t even an American citizen,” social media commentator PunishedNixon wrote in a post that sparked renewed debate over the issue.
Key Points
• FIFA awarded the 2026 World Cup to the United States, Canada, and Mexico in June 2018
• New York and New Jersey were officially selected as a host region in June 2022, led by efforts involving Gov. Phil Murphy, Mayor Eric Adams, and regional organizers
• Critics argue politicians now celebrating the event played little role in securing either the World Cup bid or the host site designation