Gianni Infantino has defended his relationship with Donald Trump, saying proximity to the US president is “absolutely crucial” to the success of the 2026 World Cup.
Fifa’s president also defended the decision to award Saudi Arabia the World Cup in 2034 in rare remarks to the media while attending the International Football Association Board (Ifab) AGM in Belfast.
Infantino attended Trump’s inauguration in Washington last month and a replica of the World Cup sits in the Oval Office. But as tensions rise between the US and a number of former allies, including their World Cup co-hosts Canada and Mexico, Infantino said he believes working with the president is essential.
“I think it is absolutely crucial for the success of a World Cup to have a close relationship with the president,” Infantino said. “We are organising a Club World Cup this year, the first ever Fifa Club World Cup, 32 teams in the United States of America. We’re organising a World Cup next year in the United States, Mexico and Canada. And let’s not forget that when the bidding happened for that World Cup, President Trump was already president of the United States.”
On the Ukraine war, Infantino said Fifa was ready to play a role if a peace deal is agreed. “We all hope that peace talks will be successful, because I think it is important that we support it for the world, much more than for football, that we have peace.
“If there is a little role that football can play, once peace is there, then of course, we’ll play our role, and we look forward that all countries in the world can play football.”
Infantino said Trump had not asked him to consider readmitting Russian sides to the World Cup, with qualifying for 2026 to begin this spring. “No, I have not been asked,” he said. “I think there are more important topics to discuss when you discuss about peace than football. But we want to have all the countries playing.”
On another controversial issue for the Fifa president, Infantino defended the decision to award the 2034 World Cup to Saudi Arabia. “There was a [Fifa] congress decision, uniting the entire world. I think it was a very positive step for football, bringing, in eight years, football all over the world, hosting everyone,” he said. “Football is the game of everyone. Everyone loves football. It’s the No 1 sport in the world. We have to be bringing everyone on the table.”
Ifab, the global law-making body for football, is set to gather on Saturday when trials on a new interpretation of the offside law, and the development of a low-cost VAR known as Football Video Support, will be discussed.
