Trump Uses FIFA World Cup for Personal Promotion Amidst Political Controversy

KATHMANDU. US President Donald Trump is using the FIFA World Cup, co-hosted by Mexico and Canada, as a tool for his personal promotion. FIFA also appears to be supporting this. The political aspects associated with the World Cup, which begins on Thursday, June 11, threaten to overshadow the sporting competition itself. The tournament, running until July 19 in the United States, Canada, and Mexico, is the largest World Cup in the history of national teams. Donald Trump is using this edition to enhance his own glory. He has the active support of FIFA President Gianni Infantino. As the head of the world football governing body, Infantino presented Trump with a 'Peace Prize' in 2025. This was seen as a form of consolation prize after he did not receive the Nobel Peace Prize a few weeks prior.

This inconsistent act could have ended there, but Infantino has continuously praised Trump. In the process, he has also weakened the role of the organization he leads. The latest example of this was seen on June 6. Somali referee Omar Abdulqadir Artan, who was preparing to officiate matches in the World Cup, was denied entry into the United States despite having a valid visa. The US administration has so far claimed that the decision was based on his 'alleged connections with members of terrorist organizations.' However, FIFA has not protested this decision. 'What happened to the Somali referee is unfortunate. But again, not everything is under our control,' Infantino said only this much at a press conference held in Mexico City on Wednesday evening. It is worth remembering that Trump has been showing hostile behavior towards Somalia and its citizens for months. When US immigration officials (ICE) were deployed in Minneapolis in early 2026, the Somali community was specifically targeted. Eight of its members were accused of defrauding COVID-19 relief aid. FIFA has also remained silent on visa bans imposed on citizens of some countries, including journalists. FIFA has not reacted to the incident of the Uzbekistan national team facing strict checks before a practice match, nor to the Iraqi striker Aymen Hussein, who was interrogated for hours upon arriving on US soil. Similarly, FIFA seems to have forgotten the fact that the 2026 World Cup is being co-hosted by Mexico and Canada. Despite Trump issuing various threats to these two countries, FIFA has not said anything about it. Instead, the organization has allowed the US President to be presented as the sole host, overshadowing Mexico's President Claudia Sheinbaum and Canada's Prime Minister Mark Carney. FIFA has never shown courage. The World Cup was hosted in Argentina in 1978 under a military dictatorship. The World Cup was held in Russia in 2018, a country that had committed human rights violations and annexed Crimea four years earlier. The World Cup was also held in Qatar in 2022, a country criticized for criminalizing homosexuality and discriminatory practices against women. However, the problems of the 2026 World Cup are not just political. The tournament has added 16 extra teams, 40 extra matches, and 10 extra days. FIFA expects to earn approximately 11 billion US dollars (9.4 billion Euros) from this. This profit-centric massive expansion will have many consequences. First, compared to previous editions, the matches in the group stage of this World Cup, being held in the US, have shown less spectator interest. More importantly, such an expansion of the tournament will also come at an environmental cost. In 2026, everything is amplified, including pollution. Various non-governmental organizations have warned that its carbon emissions will be nearly double that of the 2022 Qatar World Cup and the environmental impact could be devastating. With this excessively expanded World Cup, FIFA is entering a new and ominous era of sports, the era of 'Trumpism' in sports. Le Monde wrote in its editorial on June 11: