US President Donald Trump makes an announcement about the 2026 FIFA World Cup, while US Vice President JD Vance looks on, as FIFA president Gianni Infantino and US Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem stand behind the FIFA World Cup, in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, US, August 22, 2025.
Jonathan Ernst Reuters
As the U.S. men’s national soccer team heads into its first World Cup qualifier on Wednesday night, President Donald Trump’s recent financial disclosures in 2025 put new focus on his close relationship with FIFA President Gianni Infantino.
The disclosure shows that Infantino gave Trump 10 tickets, valued at $15,000, to the final of the FIFA Club World Cup last July at MetLife Stadium, New Jersey. Trump attended the match, where Chelsea beat Paris Saint-Germain 3-0, and joined Infantino on the pitch to present the trophy.
Trump is now expected to return to MetLife Stadium on July 19 for a much bigger event, Infantino said. He announced on June 23 on Fox News that Trump would help present the World Cup trophy to the winner of the final, putting the president at the center of the game’s most watched event.
It comes as Infantino’s relationship with Trump is drawing new international scrutiny. Fifty members of the European Parliament sent FIFA a letter on Monday, reported by Politico, urging the organization to address FairSquare’s ethics complaint over Infantino’s decision to award Trump the first FIFA Peace Prize in December 2025. The non-profit advocacy group focuses on rights issues in global labor migration, political repression and sports.
Lawmakers said FIFA must demonstrate its commitment to “political neutrality, transparency, and accountability” and urged FIFA’s Ethics Committee to work “with greater speed and integrity.”
Trump received the award during the World Cup draw at the Kennedy Center in Washington, where Infantino presented him with the trophy, medal and certificate. A FIFA video praised Trump’s foreign policy efforts before Infantino told Trump on stage that he could “always count” on his support, according to the complaint.
There is no evidence that Infantino’s ticket gift affected any US government decision related to the tournament.
The White House and FIFA did not respond to a request for comment.
The tickets from Infantino were part of a broader pattern of sports access revealed by Trump. His filing also listed 10 Super Bowl tickets worth $50,000, 10 US Open tennis tickets worth $25,000 and Ryder Cup tickets worth $11,250, among other events.
Trump reported nearly $120,000 in sports tickets from political allies, team owners, sponsors and sports executives during a year in which he often used sporting events as political and cultural platforms.
US President Donald Trump shakes hands with FIFA President Gianni Infantino after being awarded the first FIFA Peace Prize during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Drw at the John F. Kennedy Center for Performing Arts, Washington, DC, US Dec. 5, 2025.
Jonathan Ernst Reuters
Since returning to office, Trump has made sports a part of his public image, and Infantino has appeared frequently by his side.
FIFA has opened an office space in Trump Tower in New York City, placing the world’s governing body in soccer in a building connected to the president’s family business. Infantino has appeared with Trump at the White House, FIFA events and World Cup matches. Trump and Infantino appeared on the ticket platform the same month that Trump renamed the Kennedy Center “The Trump Kennedy Center.” After that, the court ruled that the president’s name should be removed from the art center.
Several top Trump officials also appeared at World Cup games, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy.
The White House is leaning on the US team’s run on the Internet, posting “USA! USA! USA!” and “SOCCER!!!” on social media as the host nation of this forum is developing.
The Department of Homeland Security also used football footage. DHS posted a video of the US men’s national team’s past games under the caption “One Nation. One Homeland. One Team.”
Mullin drew criticism after he told reporters at a World Cup security briefing on Monday that he did a “happy dance” over Iran’s elimination from the tournament and was happy the Iranian team was leaving the US, according to news reports. Football officials in Iran accuse US officials of mishandling the team, reports The Guardian, while Mullin defends the managers’ visa and security decisions.
DHS did not respond to a request for comment.
For FIFA, the 2026 World Cup is the biggest in the tournament’s history and is being staged across the US, Canada and Mexico, requiring extensive coordination for visas, security, transportation and official transportation.
