The head of FIFA's anti-discrimination partner is calling on the international soccer body to reject any ban on transgender athletes at the Women's World Cup, as the Trump administration publicly signaled its intention last week to pressure the organization to adopt such restrictions for the 2031 tournament.
Andrew Giuliani, who leads the White House World Cup Task Force, told POLITICO that securing a guarantee that "women play in the Women's World Cup and not biological men" could serve as a central issue during planning negotiations with FIFA. The U.S., Mexico, Costa Rica and Jamaica have submitted a joint bid to host the 2031 tournament.
The effort would build on recent actions by the International Olympic Committee, which earlier this year adopted a blanket ban for its female categories that mirrored an earlier White House executive order restricting transgender women's participation in sports.
What the Left Is Saying
Piara Powar, executive director of Fare Network, FIFA's designated anti-discrimination partner, argued that such restrictions would harm vulnerable athletes beyond transgender women. "We think it's important that even if a ban comes into force for the World Cup in 2031 it should not be embedded in FIFA regulations permanently," Powar wrote in a text message to POLITICO. "FIFA should not go the way of the IOC and exclude human beings from participation in football."
Powar also urged international sporting bodies to consider declining U.S.-based tournaments despite commercial incentives, warning that accepting American hosting conditions could come at the cost of excluding participants. "In football, a sport that has always been the most open and accessible, that could be devastating," Powar wrote.
Jon Holmes, spokesperson for Football v Homophobia, suggested the administration's push is largely symbolic rather than addressing a real competitive concern. "There's no suggestion anyone is near international level," he said, referring to transgender female soccer players at elite ranks. Holmes added that women with differences in sex development would likely face the most significant consequences of any new eligibility rules.
What the Right Is Saying
Giuliani framed the issue as protecting women's sports integrity on the world stage. "The Trump administration has made clear that biological men should not compete in women's categories," he said, adding that hosting rights could depend on FIFA's willingness to guarantee such protections for female athletes.
Earlier this year, the IOC adopted a policy requiring athletes competing in female categories to undergo one-time genetic screening, a move the White House praised as aligning with its own executive order on the issue. The administration has sought to extend similar standards to international sporting bodies hosting events in the United States.
Giuliani indicated that FIFA had already been informed the U.S. would host the 2031 tournament during initial discussions, though the organization has yet to formally announce host cities or venues for the event.
What the Numbers Show
FIFA currently has no centralized sex-verification system. The organization instead requires national federations to verify player eligibility before submitting rosters, including investigating "any perceived deviation in secondary sex characteristics" and maintaining documentation of findings.
The IOC's new policy mandates one-time genetic screening for athletes in female categories. This represents a significant shift from the organization's previous framework, which allowed individual sports governing bodies to set their own eligibility standards.
Transgender women have not competed at elite levels in international women's soccer. No transgender female players are currently ranked among top-tier national teams or professional leagues worldwide, according to advocacy groups monitoring the issue.
The Bottom Line
The debate over athlete eligibility is emerging as a potential flashpoint in U.S.-FIFA relations ahead of the 2031 tournament bid decision. While the Trump administration has signaled it intends to make this a priority, anti-discrimination advocates argue any ban would disproportionately harm women with intersex characteristics rather than address actual competitive concerns.
FIFA has not formally responded to requests for comment on whether it is considering policy changes. The organization faces pressure from both the U.S. government, which controls access to its largest potential market, and international human rights groups concerned about exclusionary practices.
What happens next: FIFA's decision on the 2031 host bid will likely signal whether athlete eligibility conditions become standard practice for tournaments held in the United States. Sporting organizations worldwide are watching to see how the organization balances commercial interests against concerns raised by advocacy groups.