‘Let’s not f–k it up’: A former U.S. soccer star has some World Cup advice for the White House

Pro-Trump soccer star admits 'negative perceptions' about US are 'a problem' for World Cup

Philadelphia scored a major victory when it was chosen for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, an event being promoted aggressively by Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro and Philly Mayor Cherelle Parker. But many Philly residents fear that soccer fans won't visit the United States in 2026 because of President Donald Trump's policies, and that 45 percent service cuts cutbacks being proposed for SEPTA — Philly's mass transit system — will hurt the event.Those Ph…

‘Let’s not f–k it up’: A former U.S. soccer star has some World Cup advice for the White House

When Alexi Lalas visited Washington during the first meeting of the White House’s FIFA World Cup 2026 Task Force earlier this year, the two-time World Cup competitor-turned-American-soccer-edgelord had a typically unvarnished message for President Donald Trump about the tournament returning to the United States after three decades away. “Don’t ever let anybody shame you into not calling it soccer,” Lalas told Trump, who this summer flirted with …