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Following a patriotic opening salvo from Grammy winner Emilio Estefan, FIFA President Gianni Infantino welcomed attendees to the revamped Club World Cup draw by introducing a “very, very special friend” — incoming president Donald Trump.
Though Trump was not in attendance at the draw, which took place at the Telemondo Studios in Miami, Florida on Thursday, he addressed the crowd in a pre-recorded message, in which he praised the sport’s popularity and complimented the FIFA president.
“I will try and be there if I can, I would. We’ll see what happens. But I just want to say you’re led by a man named Gianni. I just know him as Gianni and he’s a winner and he’s the president, and I’m the president. And we’ve known each other a long time, and I’m so honored to have this kind of a relationship because soccer is going through the roof. As everybody knows, it’s been doing fantastically well.”
Tump’s daughter, Ivanka, as well as her husband, Jared Kushner, and their son were among the notable figures present to draw teams for the expanded 32-team tournament that will be played in the United States next year. Ivanka had the honour of making the first ceremonial pick of the draw.
The presence of the Trump family at the event underscored their warm relationship with FIFA’s leadership, which developed during the bidding process for the 2026 World Cup. During his first presidency, Trump hosted Infantino — also freshly elected as FIFA President — at the White House on numerous occasions, where they developed a clear bond. This was in sharp contrast to Obama’s administration, which held power when the FBI investigation into FIFA reached its peak in 2015.
During the first Trump administration, the U.S. became interested in hosting the 2026 World Cup. However, Trump’s isolationist policies, including a “Muslim Ban” predominantly targeted Muslim nations, made the U.S. a controversial pick to host the tournament. Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law, played a pivotal role in providing commitments that helped swing the bid in the U.S.’ favour. He even traveled to Saudi Arabia ahead of the World Cup vote in 2018, where he personally asked for Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s support. The prince agreed and, furthermore, influenced the region to vote in favour of the joint U.S bid with Canada and Mexico.
Kushner has since remained an influential figure in the U.S. bid. According to The Athletic, Kushner organized a lunch for Infantino and New York City politicians and business elites helped secure MetLife stadium for the 2026 World Cup final.
The Club World Cup is now the latest tournament connecting Trump to the beautiful game. In theory, the revamped tournament is an interesting idea, offering exciting match-ups between world class teams from different corners of the world. It also has the potential to draw global audiences and new revenue sources, which further grows the game. However, in reality, the tournament has stirred chaos in football, leading to issues with scheduling, and threats of legal action from FIFPro, the representative organization for pro footballers. Even the tournament’s official broadcaster, DAZN, was only announced a day before the draw.
Nevertheless, the tournament will serve as a warm-up to the 2026 World Cup, which is scheduled to take place midway through Trump’s second term in office. Known for leveraging sports leagues like the UFC to enhance his image and amplify his MAGA ideology, Trump now faces an even grander stage with the FIFA World Cup. This global event offers an unparalleled platform to craft a vision of America tailored to his narrative.
And, much like his alliance with UFC President Dana White, Trump finds a steadfast partner in FIFA President Gianni Infantino, eager to promote his agenda under the banner of global unity.
“I want to say my highest regards in respect to Gianni, and it’s an honor to be with you and we’ll be with you very soon,” Trump said in his pre-recorded message Thursday. “And we’re going to be watching the World Cup, very importantly, also very soon. And I was very responsible, along with Gianni in getting it. And it’s going to be a fantastic thing.”
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