The 2026 FIFA World Cup is approaching fast, and former U.S. Soccer president Alan Rothenberg believes the tournament could become another defining moment for soccer in the United States.
Rothenberg, who helped lead the successful 1994 FIFA World Cup in the U.S. and later launched Major League Soccer, recently shared his thoughts in an exclusive interview with Kyle Odegard.
Rothenberg discussed several major topics ahead of the tournament, including ticket pricing concerns, international tourism, Donald Trump’s expected involvement, and the outlook for the United States men’s national team. With the World Cup set to take place across the United States, Canada, and Mexico, Rothenberg said the spotlight on the event will be unlike anything seen since 1994.
The former U.S. Soccer executive also believes the atmosphere around the tournament will quickly shift once matches begin. “When the tournament begins, it’s going to be spectacular. We’re not going to hear any of that,” Rothenberg said while discussing criticism surrounding FIFA ticket pricing and travel concerns.
Alan Rothenberg Predicts Donald Trump Will Be “All In” During FIFA World Cup
GettyLionel Messi, Inter Miami’s managing owner Jorge Mas and US President Donald Trump pose with a 47 jersey and a signed ball during an event honoring Inter Miami CF
Rothenberg said he expects President Donald Trump to take a major public role during the tournament because of both his connection to sports and his involvement in the World Cup bid process.
“Oh, yeah,” Rothenberg said when asked whether Trump would be more visible than former president Bill Clinton was during the 1994 tournament.
“Donald Trump created a World Cup task force and named himself chairman,” Rothenberg added. “He actually was the signatory on the application in the first place, so he has a rightful claim that it is his World Cup.”
Rothenberg also noted the federal government’s financial support for tournament security.
“He also put in his Big, Beautiful Bill $650 million of security money for the 11 cities. So he’s pretty well committed,” Rothenberg said.
The former U.S. Soccer president believes Trump’s public profile and love of sports make it highly likely he will remain front and center throughout the competition.
“I don’t care what your ideology is; you can hate Donald Trump,” Rothenberg said. “There are two things I think everyone would agree on: one is, he genuinely loves sports. The other is, he genuinely loves being in the media.”
“The notion he wouldn’t want to be in front of two billion international TV viewers to kick the opening ball or whatever they do to start it is inconceivable,” he continued.
Rothenberg also addressed concerns about immigration enforcement during the tournament. He said he hopes federal agencies avoid actions that could negatively impact the event atmosphere.
“I’ve got to believe for the reasons I stated that the Trump administration is going to have ICE lay low during the tournament,” Rothenberg said. “That’s the only thing that I can think of that would put a blemish on the tournament.”
Alan Rothenberg Shares Expectations for Christian Pulisic and USMNT
GettyUnited States forward Christian Pulisic
Rothenberg also discussed the United States men’s national team and admitted there remains uncertainty around Mauricio Pochettino’s squad entering the World Cup.
“The big thing with the team right now is that they’re a total unknown,” Rothenberg said. “People ask, ‘How are they going to do?’ It’s hard to know.”
The former executive said the team has not consistently fielded its strongest lineup together in recent years.
“I don’t think we’ve ever had the 11 players that are going to start in the World Cup together in any of the matches,” Rothenberg explained.
Still, he believes the United States should advance beyond the group stage and potentially reach the quarterfinals.
“Just based on what we’ve seen, they should get out of the group,” Rothenberg said. “And depending on who is in that group of 32, they’ll have a good chance to get out of there and get to the quarterfinals.”
Rothenberg also referenced Christian Pulisic while discussing the future of American soccer stars.
“It’s too late in that sense for a (Christian) Pulisic,” Rothenberg said while explaining that future young American players could become even more connected to the national team system through the federation’s new training center in Georgia.
He pointed to France’s development system as a model for the United States’ future.
“They have a style and the players know each other,” Rothenberg said. “It’s much more of a team rather than an All-Star group.”
The United States will enter the 2026 World Cup carrying increased expectations as co-hosts, with players such as Pulisic, Weston McKennie, Tyler Adams, and Gio Reyna expected to lead the squad on home soil.
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