How a 2020 dinner in Davos set the stage for a ‘MAGA’ World Cup

Since Chelsea in the Premier League was on his way to victory in Club World Cup Final in July, President Donald Trump And FIFA President Gianni Infantino It was deep in a discussion in the New Jersey Sports Complex outside New York City on another issue: Where the clouds for the World Cup next year It will be held.

The high -drama scene decides the teams that will face each other in the group stage of the most famous football championship, along with the competition schedule. It was widely expected to be discovered in Las Vegas, a homeland equivalent to 1994 when the United States hosted the last time World Cup And natural background for Glitz. However, at least March, private sector officials discussed bringing the lottery to Washington, the home of the Showman president who regularly embraces the lights related to sports.

So During that match in July On the stadium that will also host the final of the World Cup for the next year, Trump and Envantino agreed to continue in the American capital – any Kennedy center, another institution Trump reshapes it according to his desire.

“During the club’s World Cup final, there was real seriousness, look at whether we would do that, and we have to do that now,” Andrew Juliani, The Executive Director of the FIFA work band at the White HouseThe Associated Press said. “Then the conversations between the president and Mr. Infantino are heated in terms of completing this.”

Cooperation on the clouds, scheduled for December 5, clarifies the association that was formed between Trump and InfantinoAnd the American president described him as “perhaps the most respectable man in sport.” The relationship will come in focusing more clearly as the World Cup approaches, It was hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada jointly.

Tickets Now open The fans are as major questions hanging in the championship, including how Hello visitors From some countries you will be in the United States in the middle of it Immigration campaign. Even with the White House pledge to open up, Trump added the other certainty This indicates that he can transfer games One of the cities it is believed to be unsafe.

Trump and Infantino develop a deep alliance

Despite his compatibility with sports, Trump is more known for his relationships Golf and soccer From football. But his awareness of sports was partially pushed by his younger son, Baron, a football fans who had a Safi in the garden of the first lady During Trump’s first period.

Trump’s interest only grows when the United States won the World Cup hosting rights in 2018. Nothing raises Trump like hosting a big event, and Juliani recalled that at that time, the president and his assistants were almost sad that he would not be in the White House when the tournament reached, assuming that he would be in the post -period period.

Soon after the United States gave the championship, Trump hosted Infantino at the White House. Infantino, which was also He spends his first term as FIFA presidentLeave the impression of the delivery of Trump Reed and yellow cards, Joking can be used on the press.

The relationship flourished in 2020, when both men drew their future.

During a dinner in January in Global Economic Summit in DavosNear FIFA’s house in Zurich, Infantino called on US President “My Great Friend”. Trump, who always appreciates courtesy, by inviting Infantino to the White House signing event for Ibrahim’s agreements, which sought to normalize diplomatic relations between Israel and many Arab countries.

The ceremony happened while Infantino was compatible with FIFA sporting and commercial relations with Saudi Arabia, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. This was followed by a pattern of Infantino, such as Trump, and they crossed authoritarian leaders.

Infantino He seems to enjoy public meetings with Russian President Vladimir Putin Before and after and after that the country the 2018 World Cup hosted. Infantino said he was visiting Putin in the Kremlin with a group of football greats during the tournament, he felt that he was “like a child in a game store” in Russia. The Russian friendship ranking from Putin was collected the following year.

Infantino will later move to Doha before the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, where it appeared in the name of A. Strong defender for the small Gulf state This was severely criticized for treating hundreds of thousands of migrant workers who need to build basic fields, transportation projects and hotels.

Infantino’s links with Biden were much more limited

As the relationship between Trump and Tanninino deepened, Joe Biden dismantled Trump’s hopes of staying in the White House. Over the next four years, Infantino’s relations with Washington have been much more limited. The two leaders held a brief meeting on the sidelines of the 20 Summit Group in Bali, Indonesia, in November 2022, a passing moment taken with one photo on its website.

The second man also met Douglas Emehouf with Infantino when he was He traveled to the Women’s World Cup in July 2023.

The preparations for the World Cup were under the leadership of Biden under the radar, according to the design, according to a senior official for that administration, who asked not to be identified to discuss internal deliberations. Although the administration has the 2026 World Cup workplace, Biden’s assistants were aware of the sensations surrounding the large gatherings shortly after the Covid-19s.

The White House Biden was also keen on not promoting publicly a relationship with FIFA, which led to the marginalization of the American Football Association in its traditional role in coordinating the World Cup. Instead, he negotiates individually with each of 11 American host cities on security, tickets and other issues.

Infantino visited the White House while Biden was at least once, where he met for an hour in 2024 with the then national security adviser Jake Sullivan, a thirsty football fans. Biden officials confirmed on Infantino that they wanted to ensure that the host cities would eventually benefit from the World Cup matches and that human rights values ​​in the United States would be respected.

Trump is the theater’s return to the World Cup “Maga”

Trump’s disappointment at the loss of the World Cup will prove that it is unfounded He was elected to a second unstable term last year.

Since this victory, Infantino’s embrace of Trump has been flowing. He congratulated him immediately the day after the election day, and in Mar Lago, Trump Club in South Florida, during the presidential transition and had a major seat in his inauguration in January. Trump described Infantino as a “winner” In a video that was played at Miami Draw For the club’s World Cup in December, which was attended by the daughter of Ivanka and her son -in -law Jared Kushner.

Meanwhile, FIFA created a Trump Tower store in Manhattan, where Infantino worked last month with world leaders gathered close to the annual United Nations General Assembly. Infantino and Trump met again last week in New York, along with the first lady Melania Trump, according to FIFA Instagram President.

Infantino has disturbed the idea of ​​Trump a draw for himself, which Juliani called “the World Cup draw for Maga FIFA”.

“Just like the great opera, there will be a high drama,” said Juliani.

Infantino had general appearances with Trump more than any football officials from Hartls Sports in Europe and South America, according to the FIFA leader and social media table. He was Late his FIFA conference in Paraguay In May, because he was with Trump, the Saudi Crown Prince in the Middle East, a step that is not respected for his voters and was criticized by football federations in Europe.

During the most recent appearance of Fradinino on the Trump side of the Oval Office on August 22, even some of his teammates were taken when he was surprised when the Golden World Cup talent of the American president was “for the winners only.”

This delivery was not unexpected, according to a senior football official, who asked not to be identified to discuss sensitive dynamics. Although it was a replica, he was still seen as a tradition in the World Cup because Trump had held a cup that is supposed to belong to sport as a whole, not an individual person.

A White House official said the cup was still in possession of the White House.

This offer has not been publicly extended by FIFA to Mexico President Claudia Shinbom or Prime Minister in Canada Mark Carne. Infantino did not meet Carney this year and met with Kenbaum for the first time on August 29.

The episode is to remind how infantino can turn the moment. The man who noticed in Qatar on the eve of the World Cup in November 2022 that “today, I feel (like) a migrant worker” – the comments that were interpreted as solidarity with the immigrants were laughing with Trump and Minister of Internal Security Christie Naim earlier this year while joking about immigrants who could not expand the wall on the southern American border.

Infantino frame his close relationship with Trump as a “decisive” for the success of the World Cup, a huge process that relies on wide cooperation with federal, state and local governments. Trump’s suggestion was that he could move the host cities as a reminder that Infantino is working with a famous rush president whose FIFA’s whims could expose logistical chaos and legal danger if it continues.

Even without these threats, those involved in the World Cup planning said the championship classes are high because they are the first in a series of global sporting events hosted by the United States, including the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.

“This should go well in order to show the world that if you want to get the best sporting and entertainment events, you want to have it in the United States,” said Alex Lazri, CEO of the host of the host of New York/New Jersey. “I do not think it is unusual to coordinate the White House and participate, and I do not think it is unusual to be enthusiastic and talk about a huge event coming here.”

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Dunbar mentioned from Geneva.