The World Cup offers the largest platform for the U.S. to "show off American exceptionalism," Andrew Giuliani, executive director of the White House Task Force for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, told Newsmax on Monday.
Appearing on Newsmax's "Wake Up America Early," Giuliani said the tournament's early success is proving critics wrong while giving the United States an unprecedented opportunity to showcase its values, hospitality, and national pride to a global audience.
"There is no larger platform when you're talking about billions of people watching the final," Giuliani said. "There is no larger platform to be able to show off American exceptionalism over our first 250 years, and the great hope and promise that we and the American way of life offers over our next 250 years."
Giuliani brushed aside media narratives suggesting Americans are reluctant to rally behind Team USA because of President Donald Trump, arguing that packed stadiums and enthusiastic crowds tell a different story.
"If I spent all day rebutting what the leftist press would say, we'd have no time to focus on the safety and security of this," Giuliani said. "This has been, through 11 days, by far the most successful version of the largest sporting event ever."
The tournament has already shattered attendance records.
FIFA announced last week that 281,223 fans attended matches on June 16, setting a single-day World Cup attendance record and putting the tournament on pace to surpass the all-time attendance mark.
Giuliani pointed to social media videos showing visiting fans embracing American culture, from Scottish supporters celebrating in Boston to Japanese fans cleaning up stadiums after matches.
"This has been the best PR for America we could possibly have," host Alex Kraemer said, noting that many international visitors have expressed surprise at the friendliness and welcoming atmosphere they have encountered.
Giuliani also praised the U.S. men's national team, which advanced after victories over Paraguay and Australia despite missing star Christian Pulisic in the latter match.
"This is first and foremost a really great group of young men," he said. "You can see it in their belief in themselves."
If Team USA makes a deep tournament run during America's 250th anniversary celebration, Giuliani said it could become "one of the truly greatest American sports stories of all time."
He also emphasized the enormous security effort behind the event, comparing it to "doing 78 Super Bowls over the course of 39 days," with more than 400 law enforcement agencies coordinating to keep fans safe.
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