When the groups for the World Cup in North America were drawn in December in Washington, US President Donald Trump stole the spotlight - with the help of the International Football Federation (FIFA).
Trump then accepted FIFA's newly established peace prize from president Gianni Infantino. And later, FIFA began working with Trump's peace council, despite the fact that the powerful football association, according to its statutes, is supposed to be politically neutral.
Is Russia being brought into the fold?
It is difficult to claim political neutrality when you create a peace prize for Donald Trump and engage in his peace council, says Stanis Elsborg, head of the Danish organization Play the Game, which works to spread democratic values within the sports world.
Since the Peace Prize was awarded, Trump has started a war against Iran. A war that has long jeopardized the country's participation in the World Cup.
"FIFA really wants to claim political neutrality. That's why they were so eager to get Iran to participate in the World Cup and to try to get Russia back into world football after the summer break. Then they can speak the language of neutrality again," says Stanis Elsborg.
Russia has been excluded from all senior-level events since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, but at the beginning of 2026, Infantino opened the door to a change.
"This exclusion has achieved nothing. It has only created more frustration and hatred," Infantino said in an interview with Sky.
Last week, the International Olympic Committee announced that all Russians will be welcomed back starting with the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.
"Fucked for Trump"
After the 2018 World Cup in Russia, Infantino received the prestigious Order of Friendship from Russian leader Vladimir Putin. Now it is the US president with whom the FIFA boss has close ties.
He has been playing for Trump for as long as he can - just to keep the great leader happy. It has Stalinist features. Infantino has become one of Trump's loyal underlings, says sports and political journalist Karim Zidan.
To what purpose, one might ask. Visa problems have prevented supporters from traveling to the United States, Somali World Cup referee Omar Artan was barred from entering, and Iran has been forced to base itself in Mexico despite the national team playing its three group-stage matches in the United States.
During the tournament, fresh criticism of the leaders' relationship flared up. After FIFA lifted the suspension of US star striker Folarin Balogun, reports emerged that Donald Trump had pressured the decision by personally calling Infantino.
Trump has not made the path for the World Cup easier and has thrown Infantino under the bus. When complaints have been made about FIFA's high ticket prices, Trump himself has said that he would not pay such sums, says Karim Zidan, who runs the website Sports Politika.
Ahead of the World Cup in Mexico City, Gianni Infantino held a rare press conference. In it, he said that FIFA "are not kings of the world who can rule over governments."
During the championship, Infantino then presented his next plan: he will award the World Cup trophy together with Trump.
Of course. We are together all the time.
Swiss Gianni Infantino, 56, has been president of FIFA since February 2016 - before that he was, among other things, secretary general of the European Football Association (UEFA) from 2009 to 2016.
He was elected at an extraordinary FIFA congress in the wake of the corruption scandals surrounding his predecessor Sepp Blatter.
His first three years in office do not count as a full term, meaning Infantino could be re-elected for four more years next year. According to FIFA's statutes, a president can serve a maximum of three full terms, which Infantino will reach if re-elected.
Infantino has said he will run in the 2027 FIFA elections and football federations in Africa, South America and Asia have already given him their support - which corresponds to 111 out of 211 votes.
Under Infantino's leadership, the FIFA Congress has decided to award the men's World Cup to the United States, Canada and Mexico in 2026, Spain, Portugal and Morocco with three matches in Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay in 2030, and Saudi Arabia in 2034.
During his presidency, the World Cup has also been decided in Russia in 2018 and Qatar in 2022, but FIFA made decisions about these hostings before Infantino took office.
