Gianni Infantino said he was bullied at school. Classmates laughed at his freckles and his red hair. Donald Trump, on the other hand, is accused by his rivals of being a bully and bullying the week. Never before have such different personalities been so close. Infantino, 55, was born into a humble family: the son of a Calabrian railway worker and a Lombard housekeeper. Trump, 79, grew up surrounded by every comfort. His father was a successful construction businessman in the vibrant New York of the 1960s.
The unexpected friendship between the president of FIFA, the sports governing body that organizes football events, and the U.S. president has sparked some criticism. Yet the bond between the two leaders is bringing soccer — a minority sport in the United States — closer to the MAGA world, a space previously reserved for the NFL, NBA, and baseball.
There are two moments that explain how this friendship ignited and shed insight on the close relationship between the two figures. The first occurred in August 2018, the first time Infantino visited the White House with Trump as president. FIFA had just awarded the joint United States-Canada-Mexico bid to host the 2026 World Cup. Infantino gifted the Republican a soccer ball and a personalized jersey.
As the visit was drawing to a close, he said: “One more thing. You know in soccer, we have referees, right? And they have cards. Yellow cards and red cards. The yellow card is a warning, and when you want to kick out someone [shows the red card] … so this could be useful.” Trump’s face lit up. Excited, he picked up the red card and jokingly pretended to caution the press. The visit was a success. A friendship had begun.
The second key moment took place in Switzerland. It was early 2020, before the world had been hit by the full brunt of the devastating COVID-19 pandemic. Trump attended the Davos summit, where hundreds of ostentatious businesspeople travel each year to flaunt their contacts and status. Trump’s appearance at the Davos summit came at a particularly difficult time. He had just faced the first impeachment of his career for abuse of power and obstruction of Congress, after he allegedly asked Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to investigate former Vice President Joe Biden and his son Hunter during a phone call. Trump’s international reputation.
Infantino, before a select group of business leaders, introduced Trump: “He says actually what many think, but more importantly, he does what he says. This brings the American Dream to reality,” said Infantino. “Now, the American Dream is something that not only Americans need to have. The American Dream is something that we all need to have.” His words moved a troubled Trump, who thanked him: “You’ve been a great friend and it’s an honor.”
Since then, they speak frequently on the phone, play golf together, and Trump takes Infantino on some of his international trips as if he were another member of the presidential entourage. Trump calls him his friend “Johnny” as a sign of their closeness. Both publicly exchange compliments. The Swiss’s accommodating and flattering nature has won over the American, who enjoys being fawned over.
Infantino’s praise of Trump has, however, caused him some trouble. He has been accused of violating the FIFA statutes on political neutrality. Three weeks ago, while participating in the American Business Forum — an event held in Miami that also included athletes such as Lionel Messi, Serena Williams, and Rafael Nadal — Infantino stated: “I’m really lucky. I have a great relationship with President Trump, where I consider him a really close friend.” But he didn’t stop there: “We should all support what [Mr Trump is] doing because I think it’s looking good.”
Miguel Poiares Maduro, who was head of FIFA’s governance committee between 2016 and 2017, has accused Infantino of “clearly” violating the rules on neutrality, according to The Athletic. Although FIFA has not opened an investigation, this is not the first time Infantino has expressed support for Trump’s policies.
On the very same day, FIFA announced the creation of a “FIFA Peace Award,” which will be presented next Friday during the draw for the 2026 World Cup, which will be held in 16 U.S. cities. The ceremony will take place at the Kennedy Center in Washington, a huge arts and convention complex, which, coincidentally, is chaired by Trump. The New York magnate had repeatedly expressed his desire to win the Nobel Peace Prize, although it ultimately went to Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado. While FIFA has not disclosed who will receive the new award, everyone knows who will be chosen.
“It’s true that it’s not a relationship the establishment is happy about, but Gianni is a practical man,” said a FIFA source close to the decision-making bodies. “There’s a World Cup with 48 teams for the first time in history. The stadiums have to be filled with eight million people. This has to work,” they added. “He was already criticized at the 2018 World Cup in Russia for his relationship with [President Vladimir] Putin, and in 2022 for Qatar. And it will be the same in 2030 when it’s held in Spain and Morocco.”
Although next year’s World Cup is jointly organized by the United States, Canada, and Mexico, Infantino has not shown the same closeness with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney or Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum.
U.S. President Donald Trump during Chelsea’s Club World Cup victory celebration.Jean Catuffe (Getty Images)
Infantino is a diplomatic man, and is quick to align himself with World Cup hosts. He demonstrated this four years ago during the Qatar World Cup, when journalists asked him about human rights violations in the country.
“Today I have very strong feelings. Today I feel Qatari. Today I feel Arab. Today I feel African. Today I feel gay. Today I feel disabled. Today I feel a migrant worker,” he said as he launched a staunch defense of the Gulf nation in the presence of Qatar’s Emir, Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.
Infantino, incidentally, lives with his family in Doha, the capital of the Qatari kingdom, where he is a celebrity. He also maintains a close friendship with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. In fact, he has excellent relations with leaders across the Middle East, which has undoubtedly helped him build a connection with the U.S. president. But his friendship with Trump has reached a level of trust that is on another level.
In fact, on January 19, during a rally celebrating his election victory, Trump mentioned him five times. “Thank you, Gianni,” Trump repeated enthusiastically. The next day, during the inauguration of his second term at the White House, Infantino’s shining head stood out in the front rows of the ceremony where Trump was sworn into office.
That’s not all: six months ago, Trump asked Infantino to accompany him on his first major international trip of his second term. Infantino performed diplomatic work for the Republican thanks to his contacts in Qatar and Saudi Arabia. His presence on that trip caused him to arrive two hours late at FIFA’s annual assembly in Asunción, Paraguay, earning him a reprimand from FIFA’a governing body.
“It’s true that there’s a special and different relationship with Trump,” add FIFA sources. “It has to do with the fact that during the previous four years, Biden didn’t have a single second to meet with Infantino when the United States was going to host the biggest sporting event in the world.” As soon as Trump returned to the White House, he formed a working group that included several of his secretaries and Attorney General Pam Bondi. “He comes, asks questions, and asks his team to get involved,” the sources added.
Trump and Infantino’s close relationship is also evident in other activities. FIFA appointed Ivanka Trump to the board of a $100 million educational project, partly funded by ticket sales for the World Cup. The organization has also rented an office in the Trump Tower in New York and is building a massive headquarters in Miami, Trump’s favorite vacation spot.
With the draw for the 2026 World Cup, fast approaching, questions about the even still remain — particularly regarding international fans’ reception and the potential for last-minute venue changes. Trump likes to take advantage of every opportunity and does not hesitate to politicize every move. Just recently, he met in the Oval Office with his top advisers and Infantino. In that meeting, Trump brought up alleged security problems in cities governed by Democrats, such as Boston, Los Angeles, and Seattle. Amid the current immigration crackdown, he wants to deploy National Guard troops to assist Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in rounding up immigrants for deportation.
Trump asked Infantino if he could pull World Cup games from these cities if they fail to enforce his immigration and urban militarization policies. “If we think there’s going to be a problem, Gianni, can I say we will move? I don’t think you’re going to have this problem. But we’re gonna move the event to someplace where it’s going to be appreciated and safe.” Infantino, visibly uncomfortable, avoided confirming the possibility but didn’t close the door either: “Yes, Safety and security is the No. 1 priority for a successful World Cup.” In exchange for navigating that delicate situation, the FIFA executive secured U.S. priority visas for ticket-holding fans.
Last August, after the success of the Club World Cup, Infantino brought Trump a replica of the World Cup trophy to show him the award the winning team would receive. “The MAGA-FIFA World Cup,” Trump joked to an aide. The 18-carat gold trophy remains in the Oval Office, alongside the original Club World Cup trophy held this past summer. It is a large 24-carat gold piece designed by Tiffany & Co., which Trump kept on the Resolute Desk until recently. Infantino only brought the trophies to the White House for display, but Trump’s taste for gold objects and their symbolism led him to request keeping them — a decision that has caused some friction within the institution.
In reality, two complementary personalities have come together: one who needs to be the center of attention and another who enjoys catering to his friends’ desires. After the final of the first Club World Cup, held this summer in the United States, while helping to award medals to the Chelsea players who won the championship, Trump kept one medal for himself. During the trophy presentation — something usually reserved for the athletes — he stood alongside the players, who were jumping excitedly around him after their victory over PSG in the final.
Soccer is slowly but surely gaining popularity in the United States. It is a sport with little tradition in the country, even though it hosted the World Cup in 1994. The relationship between Trump and Infantino is helping to expand interest in the sport across the Midwest, where sports like the NBA, American football, and baseball are deeply rooted. Soccer is starting to be played in schools by young boys, and Latin American immigration is also contributing to its growing popularity.
“It’s true that the relationship between Infantino and Trump helps,” said FIFA sources. “The image of the U.S. president sitting in the stands at the final of the first edition of the Club World Cup this summer is very powerful. But let’s be honest, Leo Messi is doing more for soccer in the United States.”
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