"Very little of it is the actual kicking of the ball": Ex-US player on FIFA WC 2026 task force

Washington [US], September 12 (ANI): Former US footballer Alexi Lalas said that he has been consulted for the White House FIFA World Cup 2026 task force, offering advice to executive director Andrew Giulani ahead of the tournament scheduled for next year.

The former US player, having played 96 matches for the US, said that it is important for the task force to counter any "perception out there that people have that it's not going to be a welcoming environment."

"You have to, to the extent that you can, nip that in the bud, and you have to make sure that you do it in an open, clear, and efficient way," Lalas told POLITICO as quoted by Goal.com.

The ex-US defender also said that the task force is focusing on matters off the field, such as "security, visas and infrastructure".

"Very little of it is the actual kicking of the ball. We are talking about security. We are talking about visas. We are talking about those traveling in from outside. We are talking about even infrastructure relative to the cities, the FanFests, all of these different things," he added.

Also, FIFA President Gianni Infantino has stressed that travellers worldwide would be able to attend the tournament, co-hosted by Mexico, Canada and the USA, without any issues. A human rights group has been critical of the tournament being hosted by US because of its current policies.

Giuliani had recently said that White House has improved the visa process ever since the creation of the task force.

"First and foremost, some of the results that we can point to already are the wait times in four soccer-enthusiastic countries. Mexico's wait time was over 800 days a year ago. That number is less than 275 days. We have got some work to do to get that number even lower, but that is why the State Department is telling people to apply early. We put it back within the timeline of the World Cup, and we want to keep it within that timeline of the World Cup," he added.

He also said that 625 million USD has been earmarked for security in the recent legislation. Giulani said that the force will work closely with 11 host committees in the US to make sure that the city has all the right security resources.

Also, given recent geopolitical tensions, Lalas said that the tournament could help in bettering relationships among the host nations.

"It is interesting when you think back as to why we are even having this World Cup. The United States could host the entire World Cup - not a problem when it comes to our infrastructure. But in order to be palatable to enough people to assure the win - it goes back to that baggage that America often brings - it was prudent for us to have Mexico and Canada.

"The current situation between the teams is, let us say, difficult right now - by our own making admittedly. But hopefully this brings people together," he concluded.

The 2026 competition will be the first World Cup held across three countries, the United States, Canada, and Mexico, and the first to include 48 teams. It will take place from June 11 to July 19.

Sixteen venues have already been chosen to host games, with 11 in the US, three in Mexico and two in Canada.

The cities officially selected to host World Cup matches in the U.S. are: New York/New Jersey (MetLife Stadium); Los Angeles (SoFi Stadium); Dallas (AT&T Stadium); San Francisco Bay Area (Levi's Stadium); Miami (Hard Rock Stadium); Atlanta (Mercedes-Benz Stadium); Seattle (Lumen Field); Houston (NRG Stadium); Philadelphia (Lincoln Financial Field); Kansas City, Missouri (Arrowhead Stadium); and Boston (Gillette Stadium). (ANI)

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