FIFA's Embrace of Trump: A Relationship That Demands Scrutiny

Washington, D.C. — On Friday evening, December 5, 2025, inside the Kennedy Center, FIFA President Gianni Infantino stood before a global television audience and presented U.S. President Donald Trump with a gleaming gold trophy, a medal, and a certificate for the inaugural "FIFA Peace Prize."

The award, announced barely a month earlier and created without approval from FIFA's governing council, capped a year in which the Swiss-Italian football administrator has woven himself deeper into Trump's orbit than perhaps any other international figure. The ceremony—broadcast to billions of football fans tuning in for the 2026 World Cup draw—was less about the beautiful game and more about the increasingly visible alliance between the leader of world football and the American president.

For observers of both FIFA and the Trump administration, the spectacle raised uncomfortable questions: When does relationship-building cross into political allegiance? What does FIFA gain—and what does it risk—from such overt displays of loyalty? And should the global football community be concerned about the financial ties now binding the two?

A Timeline of Closeness

The relationship between Infantino and Trump dates to August 2018, when the FIFA president first visited the White House following the U.S. being awarded co-hosting rights for the 2026 World Cup. At that meeting, Infantino presented Trump with an oversized red card, joking that the president could use it "whenever you want to kick someone out." Trump, delighted, immediately flashed the card at assembled journalists.

What seemed like a playful exchange has since evolved into something far more substantial.

Since Trump's return to office in January 2025, the two men have met repeatedly—at the White House, at Mar-a-Lago, in the Middle East, and at business forums. According to reporting by Politico, Trump has spent more public face-to-face time with Infantino during his second term than with any world leader.

Key moments in their 2025 relationship include:

• January 20: Infantino attends Trump's presidential inauguration, later posting a video using Trump's campaign slogan: "Together we will make not only America great again, but also the entire world."
• May: Infantino accompanies Trump on a tour of the Persian Gulf, visiting Saudi Arabia and Qatar. The trip causes him to arrive hours late to FIFA's own annual congress in Paraguay, prompting European football delegates to walk out in protest.
• August 22: Infantino visits the Oval Office and gifts Trump a gold replica of the World Cup trophy. When Trump asks if he can keep it, Infantino agrees.
• October 13: Infantino appears alongside Trump at the Summit for Peace in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, marking the Gaza ceasefire.
• November: At the America Business Forum in Miami, Infantino offers a full-throated endorsement of Trump's agenda.
• December 5: Infantino awards Trump the FIFA Peace Prize at the World Cup draw in Washington.

The Peace Prize: Created in Haste, Awarded Without Process

The FIFA Peace Prize—officially titled "FIFA Peace Prize – Football Unites the World"—was announced on November 5, 2025. According to reporting by The New York Times, the announcement surprised several of FIFA's most senior officials, including board members and vice presidents, who learned of it through media reports rather than internal channels.

FIFA stated that the prize would recognize individuals who "end conflicts and bring people together." No formal nomination process, judging criteria, or selection committee has been disclosed.

The timing was notable. On October 10, the Nobel Committee announced that year's Peace Prize recipients—and Trump was not among them, despite having openly campaigned for the honor. Less than a month later, FIFA created its own peace prize.

When Human Rights Watch reached out to FIFA to understand the selection process, the organization received no response. "We do not have an answer to that, which you could infer that there is no process, there are no other nominees, there was no judging," said HRW's director of global initiatives, Minky Worden.

Financial Entanglements: Trump Tower and Beyond

Beyond the ceremonial displays, there are concrete financial ties binding FIFA to Trump's business empire.

In July 2025, FIFA announced the opening of an office in Trump Tower in Manhattan, making the Trump Organization the landlord for world football's governing body. The announcement came at an event where Infantino publicly thanked Eric Trump, executive vice president of the Trump Organization, telling him: "Our success is your success."

FIFA has declined to disclose the rent amount, stating only that it pays "market rent" for the space.

The arrangement means that FIFA is paying rent directly to a company owned by the sitting president of the United States—a president who has named himself chairman of a White House task force overseeing the 2026 World Cup and whose administration has allocated $625 million in federal funding for World Cup security.

Internal Opposition Grows

According to multiple reports, Infantino's courtship of Trump has generated newfound internal opposition within FIFA.

Six international soccer officials across three continents told Politico of widespread frustration with the FIFA president's approach, particularly as Trump administration policies—including intensified immigration enforcement—create uncertainty for World Cup-bound teams, fans, and local organizers.

The walkout by European delegates at the Paraguay congress was an unusually public rebuke. UEFA's subsequent statement accused Infantino of putting his "political interests" ahead of his responsibilities.

Questions That Remain

As the 2026 World Cup approaches, several questions demand answers:

On governance: How was the FIFA Peace Prize created, and why were senior FIFA officials not consulted? What oversight exists for decisions of this magnitude?

On finances: What is FIFA paying in rent for the Trump Tower office, and what is the business justification for maintaining space that is reportedly rarely used?

On neutrality: Has Infantino violated FIFA's own code of ethics through his public endorsements of Trump's political agenda?

On precedent: What does this relationship signal to future World Cup hosts about the expectations for cultivating FIFA leadership?

This article is based on reporting from The New York Times, Politico, The Athletic, Al Jazeera, CBS News, The Globe and Mail, ESPN, CNN, and other sources.