Global sporting powerhouse the United States and Qatar - the 2022 FIFA World Cup hosts - are set to expand sports cooperation on President Donald Trump's two-day visit to Qatar starting Wednesday. President Trump, who took office on Jan 20, 2025, is set to arrive in the Qatari capital on his maiden trip with his delegation.
Ambassador of the US to the State of Qatar HE Timmy Davis in an interview with QNA said President Trump's visit is expected to witness agreements on sports cooperation, as the US will host the 2026 FIFA World Cup and LA Olympic Games in 2028. Doha, the sports capital of the Middle East, is currently preparing to host the FIBA Basketball World Cup in 2027.
Qatar has been a favourite destination of American sports stars over the last two decades. The US Men's Football Team played at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar under coach Gregg Berhalter. Thousands of American fans also visited Qatar following Berhalter's team. American rising tennis star Taylor Fritz has appeared at the Qatar ExxonMobil Open while retired Grand Slam star Monica Seles of the US also regaled fans at the iconic Khalifa International Tennis Complex. Late American MotoGP rider Nicky Hayden scorched the surface at Lusail International Circuit. A few years ago, the Washington Spirit Women’s Soccer Team played a friendly match with the Qatar Women’s National Soccer team in Doha.
Qatar and the US collaborate extensively in sports, encompassing event hosting, security, investments, and strategic alliances. Qatar's prominence in global sports, evidenced by hosting the 2022 FIFA World Cup and the upcoming 2027 FIBA Basketball World Cup, makes it a key partner for the US as it gears up for its major sporting events.
Qatar-US relationships in the sports field have been diverse. In June 2024, Qatar and the US signed a Letter of Intent to enhance cooperation in the security of major sporting events. This agreement aims to utilize the expertise Qatar gained from successfully hosting the 2022 FIFA World Cup to support the security efforts for the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
Earlier this year, the Government Communications Office (GCO) announced a strategic partnership agreement with Fanatics, a global digital sports platform. The agreement was signed during Web Summit Qatar 2025 at the Doha Exhibition and Convention Center.
The five-year partnership includes a sponsorship of Fanatics Fest, a premier global sporting event that gathers elite athletes, business leaders and celebrities. The Fanatics Fest sponsorship will begin with the 2025 edition of the three-day sports festival, which runs 20-22 June 2025, at the Javits Center in New York.
The partnership aligns with Fanatics’ expansion strategy to reach more fans in emerging international markets. For Qatar, it creates fresh opportunities to strengthen its presence in the global sports arena through direct involvement in major sporting events, reinforcing its position as a world-class destination for sports, tourism, culture and innovation.
Qatar Airways, as the Official Global Airline Partner of FIFA, will launch travel packages for the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the US, Canada, and Mexico, further strengthening the ties between Qatar and the upcoming major sporting event in North America. The travel packages will include international flights, domestic flights, transfers to various cities, hotel accommodation in four and five-stars hotels, airports and stadium transfers, and match tickets.
A day after the 2022 FIFA World Cup final, HE Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad al-Thani, President of the Qatar Olympic Committee, handed over the ceremonial ball to representatives of the FIFA World Cup 2026 hosts - the US, Canada, and Mexico. The handover ceremony was attended by a delegation of diplomats from the three nations set to co-host the tournament.
In the presence of FIFA President Gianni Infantino, the ball was presented to Omar Alghabra, Canada’s Minister of Transport; Yon de Luisa, President of the Mexican Football Federation; and Linda Thomas-Greenfield, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations. The 2026 FIFA World Cup will be hosted across 16 cities in the US, Canada, and Mexico.
