London (AFP) – FIFA chief Gianni Infantino defended his controversial decision to award a peace prize to United States president Donald Trump as he dismissed calls for a World Cup boycott. Infantino was widely criticised for giving Trump the honour on behalf of his governing body at the 2026 World Cup draw in Washington DC in December. The move drew further scrutiny after US forces seized Venezuelan president Miguel Maduro, while Trump caused more controversy with his desire to acquire Greenland for national security reasons.
However, Infantino insisted Trump was deserving of FIFA’s inaugural peace prize, telling Sky News on Monday: “Objectively, he deserves it. Whatever we can do to help peace in the world, we should be doing it, and for this reason, for some time we were thinking we should do something to reward people who do something.”
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Infantino rejected suggestions there might be a boycott of this year’s World Cup — to be held in the United States, Canada, and Mexico from June 11 to July 19 — due to policies adopted at home and abroad by the Trump administration. There has been unrest in a number of US cities, most notably Minneapolis, over the Trump administration’s approach to immigration enforcement. But FIFA president Infantino said there were never calls for businesses to boycott a country, “so why football?”
The 55-year-old added: “In our divided world, in our aggressive world, we need occasions where people can come, can meet around the passion (for football).” Infantino also said FIFA and UEFA — European football’s governing body — would “have to” look at allowing Russia back into international action. Russia has been banned since its invasion of Ukraine in 2022, but the International Olympic Committee has now recommended sports federations allow Russian teams to compete at youth level.
“We have to (look at readmitting Russia). Definitely,” Infantino said. “This ban has not achieved anything, it has just created more frustration and hatred. Having girls and boys from Russia being able to play football games in other parts of Europe would help.”
© 2024 AFP
