FIFA President Gianni Infantino on Monday made an appearance on the “Peace 2025” stage in Egypt.
“We have Gianni,” President Trump said during the Middle East peace ceremony in the coastal resort area of Sharm el-Sheikh. “We’re going to the World Cup, I can tell you that.”
The 2026 FIFA World Cup will feature 48 teams and 104 games across 16 North American cities, including Los Angeles, Seattle, Mexico City, Toronto and Atlanta. In August, Trump announced that the 2028 World Cup draw would occur at the Kennedy Center in December.
Trump established a 2026 World Cup task force via a March executive order, calling the event a chance to “showcase the Nation’s pride and hospitality while promoting economic growth and tourism through sport.”
In a Monday post on Instagram, Infantino stated that he “attended the extremely important Summit for Peace in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt co-chaired by United States President Donald J. Trump and Egypt President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi aimed at establishing a new era of regional security and stability.” He also stated that Trump had invited him.
“The presence of world leaders from multiple nations and United Nations delegates, among others, signifies a united effort – I am of the firm belief that all of us need to come together to build bridges and am thankful to everyone for supporting peace, with special gratitude to @potus for inviting me to this summit,” he added.
Last week, Infantino urged giving Trump’s Gaza peace plan a chance, as some feared Israel’s World Cup qualifying match against Italy on Tuesday would be overshadowed by protests, The Athletic reported. Security at Tuesday’s match is expected to be tight.
Earlier this month, pro-Palestinian protesters approached the gates of the Italian soccer team’s training center, demanding that the qualifier against Israel not be played due to the war in Gaza, the Associated Press reported.
On Friday, around 1,000 protesters marched to Ullevaal Stadion in Oslo ahead of Norway’s 5-0 World Cup qualifying win over Israel to protest the war.
FIFA also recently opened an office at Trump Tower in New York, and Trump in August said Russian President Vladimir Putin may go to the 2026 World Cup.
