FIFA president Gianni Infantino has defended his alliance with US President Donald Trump as "critical" for the success of the World Cup.
The head of world football has lavished praise on Trump in recent weeks, which has been reciprocated by the American president highlighting upcoming FIFA events in the United States.
Infantino's comments came as he arrived in Northern Ireland for meetings on Friday night, where he discussed the importance of maintaining close relationships with world leaders.
Infantino attended a speech in Miami last week where Trump controversially referred to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as a "dictator".
Gianni Infantino insisted a strong relationship with Donald Trump is 'crucial'
PA
Despite this inflammatory remark, Infantino praised the US president for promoting a message of "peace and unity".
The FIFA chief's attendance at the event has raised eyebrows, particularly as it came shortly before reports emerged that Zelenskyy was allegedly "kicked out" of the White House following a public spat with Trump.
Trump has been pursuing a peace deal with Russian President Vladimir Putin that largely excludes Ukraine.
In a striking development, Infantino has opened the door to Russia's potential return to international football.
"We want to have all the countries playing," Infantino stated in Hollywood, Northern Ireland.
Russia has been banned from international football since their full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
"We all hope that peace talks will be successful, because I think it is important that we support it for the world, much more than for football, that we have peace," he said.
Infantino insisted there had been no direct request from Trump regarding Russia's return.
One of Trump's central sports policies is ordering sports to ban transgender women from competing in women's events, even threatening to block visas.
FIFA has not followed other sports like athletics and swimming in adopting such a ban.
The football governing body has maintained for two years that a review of gender eligibility policy is ongoing.
When questioned about this issue on Friday night, Infantino was swiftly removed by a member of his media team to check into his hotel ahead of meetings.
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The USA will co-host the World Cup next year alongside Canada and Mexico
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Infantino justified his close relationship with Trump by pointing to upcoming FIFA tournaments in the US.
"I think it is absolutely crucial for the success of a World Cup to have a close relationship with the president," Infantino explained.
He specifically highlighted the new 32-team men's Club World Cup being hosted in the US this summer.
The FIFA president also mentioned the expanded 48-country men's World Cup scheduled for 2026.
Infantino declined to discuss Trump's policies banning diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, which FIFA often promotes as central to its mission.
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Gianni Infantino defended his decision to expand the World Cup to 48 teams
Reuters
In his comments, Infantino emphasised his vision of football as a unifying force across the globe.
"Football is the game of everyone. Everyone loves football. It's the number one sport in the world," he said.
The FIFA president outlined plans to take the World Cup to different continents in succession.
"We bring the world together and we make sure that football is played everywhere," Infantino stated.
"We give opportunities to people, for people to meet each other and to come together."
