FIFA president Gianni Infantino has defended his alliance with US President Donald Trump as “critical” for the success of the World Cup.
The head of world football has lavished praise on Trump in recent weeks, which has been reciprocated by the American president highlighting upcoming FIFA events in the United States.
Infantino’s comments came as he arrived in Northern Ireland for meetings on Friday night, where he discussed the importance of maintaining close relationships with world leaders.
FIFA president Gianni Infantino has defended his alliance with US President Donald Trump as “critical” for the success of the World Cup.
The head of world football has lavished praise on Trump in recent weeks, which has been reciprocated by the American president highlighting upcoming FIFA events in the United States.
Infantino’s comments came as he arrived in Northern Ireland for meetings on Friday night, where he discussed the importance of maintaining close relationships with world leaders.
Infantino attended a speech in Miami last week where Trump controversially referred to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as a “dictator”.
Despite this inflammatory remark, Infantino praised the US president for promoting a message of “peace and unity”.
The FIFA chief’s attendance at the event has raised eyebrows, particularly as it came shortly before reports emerged that Zelenskyy was allegedly “kicked out” of the White House following a public spat with Trump.
Trump has been pursuing a peace deal with Russian President Vladimir Putin that largely excludes Ukraine.
In a striking development, Infantino has opened the door to Russia’s potential return to international football.
“We want to have all the countries playing,” Infantino stated in Hollywood, Northern Ireland.
Russia has been banned from international football since their full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
“We all hope that peace talks will be successful, because I think it is important that we support it for the world, much more than for football, that we have peace,” he said.