FIFA’s shameful Donald Trump relationship and how World Cup will pay the price | Football | Sport

Donald Trump continues to live in the head of Gianni Infantino rent-free. FIFA president Infantino became Trump’s puppet once the organisation decided to give the World Cup to North America. And the Italian has been dancing to the tune of the US president ever since.

The latest edition of the greatest show on turf is about to kick off. And it would take a complete fool to back against Trump hijacking at least one of the three opening ceremonies.

The States’ version will be the one Trump is expected to make all about him.

He did the same at last September’s Ryder Cup (for what good it did the US team), while who can forget how Trump morphed into Chelsea’s 12th man on the podium following last summer’s Club World Cup triumph in New York?

All the while, Infantino has stood back and allowed one of the greatest ironies in sport to unfold before him.

Which is to allow someone (Trump) so desperate to be part of football’s greatest tournament, yet spend months in the build-up doing so much in his power to destabilise it.

We have had issues with unfathomable ticket and travel prices.

The refusal of US Visas to certain nations and individuals.

Countries threatening to pull out due to the ongoing war in Iran, which Trump himself started. In particular Iran themselves.

While departing Everton star Seamus Coleman insists he will not line up for the Republic of Ireland’s UEFA Nations League game against Israel, due to the fact Israel have joined forces with Trump to kill thousands of people in the conflict.

The opening match of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar registered a global reach of over 550 million people.

So the pressure for the host countries (United States, Mexico and Canada) to put their best foot forward is intense.

In the meantime, all the raging narcissist Trump has done is stick the boot into all the planning and preparation.

To such an extent that human rights campaign group Amnesty International has warned of ‘significant risks’ to travelling supporters, players, officials, media, workers and local communities involved.

Highlighting “troubling attacks on human rights”, Amnesty claims the “starkest threat” to visitors to the World Cup may be “the machine of abusive, discriminatory and deadly immigration enforcement and mass detention in the USA”.

And it has also warned “severe restrictions on freedom of expression and peaceful protest” threaten the “safe, welcoming and inclusive” tournament promised by world football’s governing body FIFA.

Earlier this year, ICE agents shot and killed two American citizens as part of Trump’s immigration crackdown in Minneapolis.

Trump has also dispatched federal agents, as well as the National Guard, to major US cities over the past 12 months, to make good on his campaign promise to crack down on illegal immigration.

The end result was mass demonstrations and violence on the streets of cities including Portland, Chicago and Los Angeles, which just happens to be hosting Iran’s game with New Zealand on June 15.

Infantino has remained oblivious at best, unconcerned at worst.

FIFA rejected Iran’s request to have the game moved to Mexico, despite allowing Iran to switch training camps from Arizona to Tijuana, on the Mexican border.

FIFA preach that ‘football is for all’. Just not Iran, it seems.

Professional football stopped in Iran when the war started.

So thanks to Trump and Israel, Iran will arrive at a World Cup as one of the worst-prepared states any nation ever has.

Looking to somehow be part of one of the most ill-conceived and controversial tournaments in the history of the game.

The potential dangers ahead are clear for all to see.

Including Infantino – who continues to ignore them all with the sort of ignorance which brings shame on himself, his organisation and the best interests of a sport he is supposed to govern and respect.

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