U.S. President Donald Trump addresses the 80th United Nations General Assembly, in New York City, New York, U.S., September 23, 2025. REUTERS/Al DragoSummary
Trump says he hopes ‘countless’ people will attend sport events
Visa applicants face longer waits and fees
Travel to US has declined this year
U.S. President Donald Trump told the UN General Assembly on Tuesday that he hopes “countless people from all over the globe” will attend the 2026 World Cup and 2028 Olympics hosted by the United States.
Overseas travel to the U.S. fell 2.9% year-on-year in August to about 3.5 million visitors, according to preliminary U.S. government data. It was the sixth month this year that travel declined from a year ago, bucking the global tourism trend and defying expectations that in 2025 annual inbound visitors would finally surpass the pre-pandemic level of 79.4 million.
In a wide-ranging speech, Trump said next year the United States will celebrate the 250th anniversary of its independence. “We will also be proudly hosting the 2026 FIFA World Cup, and shortly thereafter, the 2028 Olympics,” he said.
“It’s going to be very exciting. I hope you all come. I hope that countless people from all over the globe will take part.”
More than 1.5 million ticket applications from fans in 210 countries were received by FIFA for the World Cup within 24 hours of the presale draw, the governing body of world soccer said earlier this month. The 48-team tournament will be hosted by Mexico, Canada and the U.S. and will feature 104 matches across 16 host cities.
But a U.S. trip may be expensive and complicated for many.
Follow us on all social media platforms @dailyquery for news and analyses around the globe.
