President Donald Trump has tapped Rudy Giuliani’s son to lead a task force ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup—apparently because of his love of golf.
Andrew Giuliani, 39, was sworn into the position Tuesday by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, who described next summer’s event, set to be cohosted by Canada and Mexico, as being “a dozen Super Bowls over a single summer.”
Trump announced Giuliani’s appointment on Truth Social and at a news conference, where he suggested that the younger Giuliani’s golf game, his “great father,” and his sucking-up were partially why he was given such a “big gig.”
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“Highly competitive golfer, which, I mean, really good,” Trump said of Andrew on Tuesday. “He’s also a highly competitive person, and he loves what we’re doing. So I want to congratulate you and your family and your father, your great father, who’s the greatest mayor in the history of New York. So I want to congratulate the family. It’s a, it’s a big post—you better do well, Andrew.”
Trump then riffed briefly with the younger Giuliani, asking him: “Is my golf game OK, too?”
A microphone did not pick up Giuliani’s response, but it must have been a positive one.
“See, he knew what to say, see?” Trump responded. “He’s a smart person. That’s why I appointed him.”
Giuliani Jr. was a pro golfer although not exactly a successful one. His only victory was in 2009 at the Metropolitan Open, for which he took home $27,500.
Trump’s post to Truth Social was much more formal. In it, he announced that Carlos Cordeiro, the former President of the United States Soccer Federation, would also be a senior adviser to the task force.
“I know Andrew and Carlos will work tirelessly to make the 2026 FIFA World Cup an unprecedented success,” Trump wrote. “Congratulations Andrew and Carlos!”
Giuliani’s task force, established in March, will coordinate departments and agencies across the federal government to assist in organizing and executing the dozens of World Cup matches here. The task force will get a dry run at next year’s tournament, as FIFA is having its Club World Cup in the U.S. this summer.
Giuliani was a special assistant to the president and the associate director of the Office of Public Liaison during Trump’s first term. He ran for governor of New York as a Republican in 2022, but was defeated in the GOP primary. It does not appear he has any background in organized sport.
