White House seeks FIFA action on transgender athletes

The White House is urging FIFA to adopt a policy barring transgender athletes from competing in professional women’s soccer, following the example of the International Olympic Committee. The push comes as President Donald Trump has yet to sign off on government guarantees required for a US-led bid to host the 2031 Women’s World Cup, The Athletic reports.

Trump, in his second term, has focused on restricting transgender participation in women’s sports. In February 2025, he signed an executive order, Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports, mandating that only athletes assigned female at birth may compete in women’s events.

The US-led joint bid with Mexico, Costa Rica, and Jamaica was formally submitted in October, but FIFA’s approval, originally scheduled for April 30, has been delayed. Sources familiar with the process, speaking anonymously, told The Athletic that the delay is tied to the White House withholding the required guarantees, which cover visas, tax exemptions, safety, and security.

“Since the launch of our cooperation three years ago, the volume of natural gas supplied from Azerbaijan has doubled. We are continuing negotiations on energy deliveries for the upcoming period, as well as on joint infrastructure projects,” US officials said.

Andrew Giuliani, executive director of the White House FIFA 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.”

The US Olympic and Paralympic Committee and the IOC have both implemented measures restricting transgender participation, including gene testing and eligibility rules barring transgender women from competing in women’s events.

Within women’s soccer, opinion is divided. Retired US national team star Megan Rapinoe has previously criticized politicians for using women’s sports to advance controversial agendas, while no transgender athletes currently compete in the National Women’s Soccer League. US Soccer has aligned its policies with the executive order, emphasizing fairness and safety in competition while collaborating with international federations.

By Vafa Guliyeva