United States President Donald Trump is reportedly pressuring the Federation of International Football Association (FIFA) to bar transgender players from participating in women’s football competitions.

The US, Mexico, Costa Rica, and Jamaica submitted a joint bid to host the 2031 Women’s World Cup, but the government has not yet signed the guarantees required to organize and host the tournament.

The FIFA Congress, originally scheduled for April 30, 2026, was postponed because the US government had not provided the necessary guarantees, including commitments on visas, tax exemptions, safety, and security requirements deemed obligatory for a World Cup bid to progress.

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Upon assuming office, Trump issued an executive order expressing concerns that “sport-specific governing bodies have no official position or requirements regarding trans-identifying athletes.” The order also directed the US Secretary of State to enforce this policy across international sports organizations.

A report by UK media outlet, The Athletic revealed that the delay is linked to the Trump administration’s efforts to ensure transgender players are banned.

Although the bid was formally presented in October 2025, it has not yet been ratified by the US government before submission to FIFA as part of the bidding process.

When contacted for comment on the issue, the White House referred the matter to its Task Force on the FIFA World Cup. In a statement, Andrew Giuliani, executive director of the task force, said: “President Trump’s leadership has set a new standard for protecting the integrity of women’s sports.

"His decisive action has codified that it shall be the policy of the United States to oppose male competitive participation in women’s sports more broadly, as a matter of safety, fairness, dignity, and truth. We urge the entire sports world to commit to this principle and ensure fair competition for female athletes to thrive in this golden age of sports.”

Trump is pushing FIFA to adopt the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) revised policy banning transgender athletes from competing in women’s athletics events.

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