ATLANTA — A dispute over a reversed player suspension has thrust the personal bond between Donald Trump and FIFA President Gianni Infantino into the global spotlight, igniting outrage and raising serious concerns about whether outside influence is compromising the integrity of the World Cup.
Trump confirmed this week that he personally phoned Infantino last week to request a review of the one-match suspension handed to U.S. forward Folarin Balogun. That suspension was subsequently lifted, allowing Balogun to take the field Monday when the United States faced Belgium in the round of 16. The move drew sharp condemnation from Belgium and from UEFA, European soccer’s governing body, which charged that FIFA had crossed a “red line.”
The episode has cast new attention on the years-long relationship between Trump and Infantino, which has grown steadily more visible and intertwined with the staging of the largest World Cup in history.
Trump’s interest in the sport increased after the United States secured co-hosting rights for the tournament back in 2018, during his first term in office. He welcomed Infantino to the White House during that period, and the FIFA president made a memorable impression by presenting Trump with red and yellow cards, joking they could come in handy when dealing with reporters.
The two grew closer over the following years. At the global economic summit in Davos in 2020, they shared a dinner where Infantino referred to Trump as “my great friend.” That same year, Trump extended an invitation to Infantino for the White House signing ceremony of the Abraham Accords — a diplomatic effort to normalize ties between Israel and several Arab nations — at a time when Infantino was working to deepen FIFA’s own relationship with Saudi Arabia.
By contrast, Infantino’s interactions with Joe Biden, who defeated Trump in the 2020 election, were considerably more subdued. The two met briefly at a Group of 20 summit in 2022, and Infantino made at least one visit to the White House in 2024.
When Trump won the 2024 presidential election, Infantino publicly congratulated him the very next day and later visited Trump’s South Florida club, Mar-a-Lago, during the presidential transition period. He attended Trump’s inauguration and described the two as sharing “a great friendship.”
Earlier this year, Infantino appeared at Trump’s Board of Peace gathering in Washington, where nine governments committed $7 billion to a Gaza relief effort. Infantino pledged to contribute a new stadium, a FIFA academy, and multiple soccer fields to the conflict-affected region.
In December of last year, human rights organization Fair Square filed a complaint with FIFA’s ethics committee, alleging that Infantino had repeatedly violated the governing body’s rules on political neutrality. The complaint cited multiple instances of what it described as Infantino’s public backing of “the actions and policies of the US President, Donald Trump.”
Perhaps the most striking symbol of the two men’s alliance came when FIFA created an inaugural peace prize in November — a development that followed Trump’s public complaints about being passed over for the Nobel Peace Prize. The FIFA prize was awarded to Trump, with Infantino praising him for his “unwavering commitment to advancing peace and unity throughout the world.” At the 2026 World Cup draw held in December, Infantino presented Trump with a golden trophy engraved with his name and placed a medal around his neck.
“This is truly one of the great honors of my life,” Trump said at the ceremony, adding, “most important, I just want to thank everybody. The world is a safer place now.”
Trump has received other sports-related gifts as well. The oversized trophy crafted by Tiffany for the newly expanded Club World Cup — featuring a 24-karat gold-plated finish — spent time in the Oval Office ahead of the tournament being held in the U.S. last year. In an interview with broadcaster DAZN, Trump recalled asking FIFA when it planned to retrieve the trophy, saying he was told: “You can have it forever in the Oval Office. We’re making a new one.” Infantino also gave Trump a gold replica of the World Cup trophy, describing it as being “for winners only.”
Trump has called Infantino “probably the most respected man in sports.” The two watched the Club World Cup final together from a luxury box at MetLife Stadium in July of last year, and it was during that gathering that they began discussions about holding the World Cup draw in Washington — a location that had not been widely anticipated, as Las Vegas had been considered the likely venue.
Infantino has a history of cultivating relationships with host nations. He accepted the Russian Order of Friendship from Vladimir Putin following the 2018 World Cup and temporarily relocated to Qatar ahead of the 2022 tournament. While Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney were both present at December’s draw, Trump alone received the FIFA peace prize.
“You can always count on my support,” Infantino told Trump at the event, which ended with the Village People performing “Y.M.C.A.”
On Monday, Trump addressed the Balogun controversy directly. “I didn’t tell him what to do. I can’t tell him what to do,” he said. Infantino, for his part, maintained that FIFA’s judicial bodies operate independently and said that autonomy was “essential to the credibility and integrity of football.”
Trump has not yet attended a World Cup match, though Infantino has watched games alongside several members of the Trump administration, including the Commerce Secretary, the Secretary of State, and the FBI Director. Infantino said in a recent television interview that Trump plans to join him for the World Cup final and present the trophy to the winning team.
