FIFA president Gianni Infantino has congratulated Donald Trump, who is set to become president again after defeating Kamala Harris in Tuesday’s U.S. election.
Infantino and Trump met several times during the latter’s first presidency, which saw the United States, Canada and Mexico awarded the 2026 World Cup in a 2018 vote.
Trump will now be in office when the U.S. serves as co-host of the tournament, which will be the first 48-team World Cup. His administration will also be well underway next summer, when the U.S. hosts the newly expanded 32-team Club World Cup.
“Congratulations Mr President!” Infantino wrote in a post on Instagram on Wednesday.
“We will have a great FIFA World Cup and a great FIFA Club World Cup in the United States of America! Football Unites the World.”
Infantino and Trump have developed a close working relationship over the years, with the FIFA president telling Trump during a 2018 Oval Office visit: “You are part of the FIFA team now.”
Most recently, Trump and Infantino appeared together in 2020 at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.
“President Trump is definitely a sportsman,” Infantino said when introducing Trump. “I am lucky enough in my life to come across some of the most talented athletes in soccer. And President Trump is made of the same sort of fibre. He is a competitor. He wants to compete, he wants to win. He wants to show who is the best. He says actually what many think, but more importantly, he does, then, what he says.”
Trump replied: “You’ve been my great friend.”
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