FIFA’s rulebook has a clear provision: the organization must remain politically neutral. FIFA President Gianni Infantino appears to have read that section and decided it was more of a suggestion.
As the 2026 FIFA World Cup gets underway across the US, Mexico, and Canada, Infantino is catching heat for what critics describe as an uncomfortably cozy relationship with President Donald Trump. The partnership, which Infantino says is purely logistical, has included some gestures that look anything but neutral.
The Trump Tower office and a peace prize nobody asked for
Infantino established a FIFA office inside Trump Tower in New York, a move that raised eyebrows across the global soccer community. The office reportedly remains largely unused, which somehow makes the symbolism even more pointed.
But the real headline-grabber came in December 2025. During the World Cup draw ceremony at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., Trump was awarded the inaugural FIFA Peace Prize. FIFA created a brand-new award and gave the first one to the sitting president of a host nation.
