All posts tagged "Gianni Infantino"

An analyst Friday slammed FIFA president Gianni Infantino and his relationship with President Donald Trump ahead of the 2026 World Cup.

The Guardian's Marina Hyde wrote an opinion piece describing the number of problematic moments around Infantino, "Trump’s dictator-curious protege," and "FIFA's recent practice of holding the World Cup in autocracies." Infantino last week gave Trump an inaugural peace award, which has now led to calls for an ethics investigation.

"FIFA president Gianni Infantino hasn’t spent recent tournaments cosying up to authoritarians because it made his life easier," Hyde wrote. "He’s done it to learn from the best. And his latest decree this week simply confirms FIFA is now a fully operational autocracy in the classic populace-rinsing style. Do just absorb yesterday’s news that the cheapest ticket for next year’s World Cup final in the US will cost £3,120 – seven times more than the cheapest ticket for the last World Cup final in Qatar." ...

FIFA's Ethics Committee has received an official complaint regarding its inaugural peace award for President Donald Trump and allegations that the organization's leader, Gianni Infantino, violated the organization's political neutrality, according to reports on Tuesday.

The nonprofit FairSquare submitted an eight-page letter to FIFA's ethics committee on Monday, requesting an investigation into the process behind Trump's award decision, The Athletic reported. The nonprofit and advocacy group focuses on labor migration rights, political repression and sports.

The letter indicated that FIFA should have a “functional and diplomatic relationship” with the American government, as the upcoming men's World Cup is slated to be in the United States....

The internet had a hysterical response to the Village People's performance of their iconic hit "YMCA" at the FIFA World Cup 2026 Final Draw on Friday, while President Donald Trump did not miss the moment to drop his signature moves.

Trump, who was given the inaugural peace award by FIFA President Gianni Infantino, stood up at the Kennedy Center — slated to soon be renamed after himself — and moved his arms to the beat of the 1978 song. The disco hit is apparently viewed as his anthem, often played at his parties and rallies, according to the BBC.

The president has long said he deserves the Nobel Peace Prize, and the FIFA award was created just a few weeks ago after Trump did not win the famed prize. It's unclear how he was chosen for the award. ...

Mockery erupted after President Donald Trump received the inaugural FIFA peace prize Friday.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino gave Trump the shiny gold medal on stage at the FIFA World Cup 2026 Draw at the Kennedy Center — which Trump plans to rename after himself — in Washington, D.C.

The award was created a few weeks ago after Trump did not win the Nobel Peace Prize, which he has said he deserves....

Donald Trump and "his FIFA soulmate" Gianni Infantino got slammed Tuesday by a European analyst who claimed America's president is destroying the world's leading sporting event.

In an opinion piece for The Guardian, Marina Hyde criticized how Trump and Infantino, "the Forrest Gump of Trump’s administration," are bringing politics to the World Cup — a tournament watched by a worldwide audience on billions.

"On Monday, the worst man in world sport was – yet again – to be found in the Oval Office, this time nodding along to Trump’s declaration that games could be moved from host cities for next summer’s World Cup if the US president deems there’s 'a problem' with security or that the cities are non-compliant in some other way," Hyde writes. The 2026 competition is set to be played at cities across the US, as well as Canada and Mexico....