The Global Story: The Fifa-Trump bromance

Summary

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Episode Overview

Title: The Fifa-Trump bromance
Podcast: Global News Podcast (The Global Story)
Air Date: December 7, 2025
Host: Asma Khalid (BBC World Service)
Guest: Dan Rowan (BBC Sports Editor)

This special episode explores the deepening personal and political relationship—described as a "bromance"—between U.S. President Donald Trump and FIFA President Gianni Infantino as the 2026 World Cup approaches. The discussion unpacks the creation of the new FIFA Peace Prize (expected to be awarded to Trump), analyzes the increasing politicization of FIFA, and investigates the consequences of policy decisions affecting fans and players, especially around issues of immigration, security, and neutrality in global sport.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The 2026 World Cup Draw in Washington, D.C. (01:24–05:09)

• The World Cup draw at the Kennedy Center is unprecedented for the U.S., with President Trump expected to have a significant ceremonial presence.
• Expanded tournament: “It’s the biggest ever,” notes Dan Rowan, with 48 teams and co-hosted by the U.S., Mexico, and Canada (03:34).
• Celebrity-heavy event with Heidi Klum, Kevin Hart, Andrea Bocelli, and the Village People—chosen in part for their Trump association (04:18).
• The 2026 World Cup coincides with the 250th anniversary of U.S. independence, giving political and cultural weight to the event.

2. The FIFA Peace Prize: A Political Spectacle? (05:58–07:57)

• The FIFA Peace Prize was rapidly created by Infantino after Trump failed to win the Nobel Peace Prize, explicitly positioning Trump as the likely inaugural winner.
• “It’s pretty brazen… designed to curry favor with the president,” observes Rowan (06:36).
• Human Rights Watch and other groups question the legitimacy and process of the prize, suggesting FIFA’s own council wasn’t involved (07:14).
• Internal discomfort at FIFA over the overt political maneuver, blurring the boundaries between sport and diplomacy.

Notable Quote

“...senior officials at FIFA are uneasy about this because it does mark a departure from tradition for the draw, which is typically all about football.”
— Dan Rowan (07:14)

3. Gianni Infantino: Power and Alignments (07:57–11:32)

• Infantino’s rise is traced from his Swiss-Italian roots to his leadership role in UEFA and, since 2016, in FIFA—emerging from the corruption scandals of the Blatter era.
• Infantino is known for building warm relationships with world leaders regardless of their politics, but his alliance with Trump is seen as uniquely close and mutually beneficial (10:25–11:32).

4. Origins and Nature of the ‘Bromance’ (11:32–14:09)

• Both Infantino and Trump were elected in 2016, sharing parallel ascents to power (11:41).
• Their relationship deepened over 2026 World Cup bidding discussions and reciprocal visits, including Infantino’s attendance at Trump's second inauguration in 2025.

Memorable Moment

“Trump presented the trophy...but what would usually happen is that that leader...would leave the podium...But he didn’t...Trump wasn’t having any of it and remained in the middle of the Chelsea team.”
— Dan Rowan describes Trump’s Club World Cup antics (13:12)

5. Sporting Events as Political Platforms (14:09–16:38)

• Trump uses high-visibility sporting events to craft a global image, often making himself the center of attention.
• Some sports figures and organizations express unease—contrasting with Trump’s adversarial relationships with other U.S. sports leagues during his first term.
• Infantino’s prioritization of meetings with Trump over official duties angered UEFA officials, raising charges of “prioritizing private political interests” (15:24).

Notable Quote

“He stands accused of hypocrisy by some...officials privately are expressing concern at FIFA and UEFA about this relationship with Trump.”
— Dan Rowan (16:20)

6. FIFA’s Political Neutrality Undermined (16:38–18:30)

• Infantino’s prominent role at global political summits, such as the Gaza peace plan meeting in Egypt, is seen as political overreach.
• Human rights groups criticize his “abandonment of all pretense of political neutrality,” which FIFA is supposed to uphold (17:44).

Infantino’s Rhetoric

“Football’s role has to be to support, to unite, to give hope in the region.”
— Gianni Infantino (17:18)

7. Trump Administration Policies and Their Impact on the 2026 World Cup (21:10–27:07)

• Policy changes, especially restrictive immigration orders, could affect fans and delegations from countries on Trump’s travel ban list (23:07–24:22).
• While athletes are exempted, fans from countries like Iran and Haiti may face barriers, causing concerns about fairness and tournament integrity.
• ICE and Border Patrol plan a visible presence at matches; previous incidents show real risks for some attendees (25:53–26:34).
• Trump floats the option of moving host cities based on safety or political considerations, causing anxiety among organizers and local governments (21:41–22:23).

Trump’s Directives

“If we think there’s going to be a sign of any trouble, I would ask Johnny to move that to a different city...We have a lot of cities that would love to have it.”
— Donald Trump (21:41)

8. Global Reaction and Long-term Implications (27:51–30:48)

• Many FIFA insiders and watchers are “worn down” but not surprised by politicization; Infantino has courted authoritarian and controversial leaders before.
• This particular U.S.-centered alliance and the creation of the FIFA Peace Prize is especially brazen and raises alarms about FIFA’s mission and integrity.
• Civil liberties and human rights groups warn of FIFA becoming “a stage for authoritarianism,” and question the future neutrality of global tournaments.
• The mutual benefits to Trump and Infantino are clear: for Trump, a global stage; for FIFA, access and financial rewards (28:34–30:24).

Notable Analysis

“There is this danger that an organization that's meant to be politically neutral could become too politicized...this alignment between FIFA and MAGA, between Infantino and Trump, really undermines this insistence that football exists beyond politics.”
— Dan Rowan (29:38)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments with Timestamps

• Gianni Infantino:

  “I would like to thank President Trump, with whom I have a great friendship, and to assure him that together we will make not only America great again, but also the entire world.”
  (02:25)

• Dan Rowan:

  “It does begin to blur those lines between this sporting organization and politics.”
  (07:14)

• Dan Rowan:

  “He stands accused of hypocrisy by some...And I think some officials privately are expressing concern at FIFA and UEFA about this relationship with Trump.”
  (16:20)

• Dan Rowan:

  “What it does do is it leads to further questions and scrutiny over whether Infantino should be forging this close alliance with a global leader, especially one who is, according to many, as divisive as Trump is.”
  (16:10)

• Gianni Infantino:

  “Football’s role has to be to support, has to be to unite, has to be to give hope in the region.”
  (17:18)

• Dan Rowan:

  “There is this danger that an organization that's meant to be politically neutral could become too politicized...that this alignment between FIFA and MAGA, between Infantino and Trump, really undermines this insistence that football exists beyond politics.”
  (29:38)

• Donald Trump, on potentially moving host cities:

  “If we think there’s going to be a sign of any trouble, I would ask Johnny to move that to a different city.”
  (21:41)

• Asma Khalid:

  “What does this mean? What has the reaction around the world been?”
  (27:51)

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Timeline of Important Segments

• 01:24 — Introduction of the special World Cup draw episode, context, and main theme.
• 03:34 — The expansion and significance of the 2026 World Cup.
• 05:58 — Discussion of the FIFA Peace Prize, its political overtones, and who stands to benefit.
• 07:57 — Examination of Gianni Infantino’s background, rise to FIFA presidency, and pattern of seeking powerful political allies.
• 11:32 — The Trump–Infantino relationship: origins, depth, and mutual political theater.
• 13:12 — Trump’s behavior at the Club World Cup and analysis of sport washing.
• 15:24 — Backlash within FIFA and UEFA over Infantino’s prioritization of Trump.
• 17:00 — Infantino at the Gaza peace summit; criticism from human rights groups.
• 21:10 — Trump administration policies affecting World Cup logistics and participation.
• 23:07 — Impact of travel bans on fans and participating countries.
• 25:53 — Security presence at matches; real implications for immigrant attendees.
• 27:51 — The global reaction to FIFA’s politicization and the future of football’s neutrality.
• 29:38 — Final reflections on the risks and consequences of the FIFA–Trump entanglement.

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Summary Conclusions

• The 2026 World Cup in North America is being shaped not just by sporting ambitions but by overt political maneuvering between FIFA’s President and the U.S. President.
• The creation of the FIFA Peace Prize for Trump is emblematic of an increasingly blurred line between sport and diplomacy, raising serious questions about FIFA’s apolitical claims.
• Trump’s policies and rhetoric have tangible impacts on the inclusivity and fairness of the event, particularly for fans from certain nations and immigrant communities.
• There are growing concerns among officials, activists, and global fans that FIFA risks becoming a vehicle for authoritarianism rather than a neutral unifier.
• The episode imparts a sense of unease about the future of global sports if such “bromances” become the norm, ending on the note that the coming months and the tournament itself will test whether claims of unity and openness can withstand political realities.

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Transcript

[Dan Rowan]

This BBC podcast is supported by ads outside the UK.

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[Asma Khalid]

Hey there, I'm Asma Khalid. And I'm Tristan Redman, and we're here.

[Dan Rowan]

With a bonus episode for you from the Global Story podcast. Every day we focus on one story looking at how America and the world shape each other.

[Asma Khalid]

We recorded this episode last week ahead of the FIFA World cup draw here in Washington, D.C. and it is a fascinating look at the growing bromance between President President Trump and the President of FIFA. And if you like this episode, you can hear more from us by searching for the Global Story wherever you listen to podcasts. At today's 2026 World cup draw at the Kennedy center Here in Washington, D.C. millions of people around the world will be watching to see who their country will face in a bid to win the biggest trophy in the sport we here call soccer. And today it won't be players lining up to shake hands and collect a medal. And instead, the winner will likely be President Trump, who is widely predicted to win the very first FIFA Peace Prize.

The prize was created by the sport's most powerful man, Gianni Infantino, and it's the latest in a series of spectacles which skeptics see as an attempt to cozy up to the American president.

[Gianni Infantino]

I would like to thank President Trump, with whom I have a great friendship, and to assure him that together we will make not only America great again, but also the entire world.

[Asma Khalid]

And this all is raising questions about what it means for FIFA as a supposedly politically neutral organization.

From the BBC, I'm Asma Khalid in Washington, D.C. and today on the Global Story, what happens when the lines between politics, diplomacy and sports Are blurred.

Can I have you introduce yourself?

[Dan Rowan]

Dan Rowan, I'm the sports editor for the BBC.

[Asma Khalid]

Dan, it is great to have you with us in real life in person here in the studio in our bureau here in Washington D.C. because you're not normally here, but you're in town to cover the World cup draw that's taking place at the Kennedy center for a big moment here for us as Americans. Because, you know, it's not every day we get to host this major soccer tournament. And I should say soccer. I know you all say football, but you know, I think it will sound very much like I'm just trying to be an inauthentic Brit if I say football. So I will say soccer.

[Dan Rowan]

That's right. For the draw itself, which will be a very grand occasion, full of pomp and ceremony, no doubt. They always are. And of course, this is the host country, or the three host countries, we should say for next year's World Cup. Cause it's not just here in the US but also Mexico and Canada. There'll be an on stage show featuring celebrities, entertainers. There'll be legendary ex players. There always are. Heidi Klum and Kevin Hart will co host the event. There'll be live performances from Andrea Bocelli, Village People, Robbie Williams, Village People, the YMCA people. Indeed.

[Asma Khalid]

And that I think speaks to favorite Donald Trump song.

[Dan Rowan]

Absolutely. And I think it speaks to a Trumpian influence and theme perhaps to what we're about to see.

[Asma Khalid]

You've covered a lot of these draws before.

[Dan Rowan]

Yeah, yeah, I've covered every World cup now since 2006 in Germany.

[Asma Khalid]

Does this one feel different?

[Dan Rowan]

Well, it is different. I mean, it is absolutely different. It's the biggest ever. 48 teams rather than 32. So it's been expanded. It's the first one to feature three co hosts. And so having matches spread out over the whole of North America, Mexico, Canada and the US will feel very different indeed. And yeah, it's going to make more money than ever before as well. I think it will feature challenges the like of which perhaps the World cup hasn't encountered in the past too. So there's an awful lot for us to sort of wonder about. And I think some of that will come through with this draw. And I think politics is gonna have a major presence.

[Asma Khalid]

Can I ask you about that? Cause I'm a longtime political correspondent here in Washington and I think the politics of this is what I find so interesting that this draw is gonna happen at the Kennedy Center. You're gonna have the President of the United States there I think it's worse than pointing out to listeners that the World cup last was here on US soil in 1994. And to my knowledge, Bill Clinton didn't attend, that he didn't preside over that draw. So to me, that's really notable, the politics of this all in this moment.

[Advertisement Voice]

Yeah.

[Dan Rowan]

And I think, you know, it's no surprise, really, I think, that Trump's there. After all, we're here in Washington. It's gonna be at the Kennedy center, where he's chair, of course.

[Asma Khalid]

Yes.

[Dan Rowan]

But, you know, he's made this World Cup a focus, I think, of his second presidency, and it will coincide with the 250th anniversary of US independence next year as well. And I think football gives him an international, global platform, and he's recognized this.

[Asma Khalid]

My understanding is there's also this new element to the draw this year, the Peace Prize. The FIFA Peace Prize.

[Dan Rowan]

Absolutely, yes. Now, this was announced by Gianni Infantino, the FIFA president, last month after Trump lost out on the Nobel Peace Prize, the one that he really wanted, of course, to the Venezuelan opposition activist Maria Carina Machado just a few weeks earlier. Now, Infantino, it actually called for Trump to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts in Gaza. And then in Miami, on the same day that the two men had spoken at this business conference, Infantino declared that the body was launching their own annual version, this FIFA Peace Prize, to award individuals who have taken exceptional and extraordinary actions for peace. He said. Now, FIFA's given no details about the process for choosing a winner or what criteria will be used, but the recipient is widely expected to be Trump. It would be a major shock, I think, if he didn't end up being awarded it. And I think, you know, Trump would say he deserves it for his role in trying to end conflict. Others would have a very different view and say that it's pretty brazen move, frankly, by Infantino, designed to curry favor with the president.

[Asma Khalid]

How do FIFA officials feel about this new prize? I'm just kind of curious about this idea of a FIFA Peace Prize seeming to be created out of the blue and you say likely directed for President Trump.

[Dan Rowan]

It's interesting. I've just come from a press conference held by civil liberties campaign groups, human rights campaign groups. You know, Human Rights Watch has written to FIFA, in fact, actually asking them how this came about, and they believe that the FIFA Council, its main governing body, wasn't consulted. It wasn't involved in any of the criteria. And it has been reported that, you know, senior officials at FIFA are uneasy about this because, you know, it does mark a departure from tradition for the draw, which is typically, you know, all about football. And I think it does begin to blur those lines between this sporting organization and politics. But Infantino will say it's deserved, if indeed it is Trump, and Trump will no doubt say deserves it, too.

[Asma Khalid]

So you've mentioned Gianni Infantino a few times here, and I do wanna know a lot more about his personal relationship and friendship with President Trump. But before we get into that, can you just tell us a little bit about Infantino himself? Who is he? Where did he come from?

[Dan Rowan]

Well, he's the. He's the most powerful man in football right now, but he. He was born in Switzerland in 1917 to an Italian immigrant family. He studied law and he joined UEFA, which is Europe's football governing body, in 2000. He became his secretary general in. In 2009, and for years I remember covering FIFA. In those years, he was very much cast in something of a supporting role to UEFA's president, the former football legend Michel Platini. But then in 2016, he managed to maneuver himself into becoming the FIFA president. When he was elected to replace that man, Sepp Blatter, when he was forced.

[Asma Khalid]

To step down, there was a corruption scandal right at the time, and that's absolutely a huge.

[Dan Rowan]

A huge scandal. It was a massive crisis that the world governing body found itself in. It had become embroiled and mired in this. In this huge corruption crisis.

FIFA in crisis.

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Seven senior officials have been arrested in dawn raids at a luxury hotel in.

[Dan Rowan]

Sweden, Switzerland, when several football officials were arrested by police in Zurich during the FIFA Congress. One of the biggest moments in. In.

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In that body's history, allegations of £97 million in bribes and questions about the Qatar and Russia World Cups.

[Dan Rowan]

Now it forced Blatter to resign and it also ended Platini's hopes of succeeding him as the head of FIFA. Now, both denied wrongdoing and they've actually since been cleared of corruption charges. But a path opened up for Infantino and he seized it. And at the time, FIFA's image and its reputation was on the floor. Sponsors were deserting the organization. They were losing money, they were fighting legal cases.

[Gianni Infantino]

I want to work with all of you, together with all of you, in order to restore and rebuild a new era in FIFA, a new era in FIFA where we can put, again, football in the center of the stage.

[Dan Rowan]

He promised to clean up the organization's image and reputation and steer it away from the scandals of the Blatter era. And So I think when, if I could recall back to 2016, when he came into power, there was a great deal of support for him and a feeling that he did represent something of a clean start.

[Asma Khalid]

Can you give us a quick rundown of what the president of FIFA does? What's the job entail?

[Dan Rowan]

Well, he represents football globally, and he is the leader of an organization that represents, you know, more than 200 national associations representing countries around the world. So, you know, that position has, for a long time carried with it a diplomatic element. He has often cozied up to powerful figures, geopolitical leaders. So, for example, he did this with the Emir of Qatar, who were the World cup hosts in 2022. He did the same with the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, who have been awarded the right to stage the World cup in 2034. They were unopposed, in fact. And before that, I remember him being very friendly with Russian President Vladimir Putin, you know, doing kickabouts in the Kremlin when they hosted the World cup in 2018. And so he has got form. But I think what we've seen with Trump in recent years is a relationship and alliance which probably goes beyond anything we've seen with other leaders that he's encountered in the past.

[Asma Khalid]

Well, to that point, I've heard President Trump describe Infantino as my friend for a long time. How did their friendship begin?

[Dan Rowan]

It's interesting, isn't it? They both were elected in 2016, so there clearly are parallels in their rise to power, respectively. And the following year, in 2017, the two men spoke about bidding for the 2026 World Cup. Trump said that he'd been won over by, you know, this potential for global interest.

[Donald Trump]

I think it's going to be something really very special. And, Johnny, maybe I'd ask you to say a few words.

[Dan Rowan]

And then I think it's after that the relationship between the two men really develops. You know, you had Trump hosting Infantino at the White House.

[Gianni Infantino]

Thanks, President, for welcoming us here. It's a great honor to be here, and thanks for everything you are doing to support our sport as well.

[Asma Khalid]

That was in Donald Trump's first term. There is this interim period where we had a different president. Joe Biden was president from 2020 to 2024. And I believe Infantino did visit the White House during the Biden years. But we see this really warm relationship with President Trump, and we see this, you know, when Donald Trump was inaugurated for a second term In January of 2025, Infantino was there at the inauguration.

[Dan Rowan]

And again, it underlines this alignment between the two men and the importance to Infantino of the World cup here. And also at that time, the inauguration. Bear in mind, it was a few months before the Club World Cup. Now this is this newly expanded tournament again, is another idea of Infantino's. To generate more money for FIFA.

[Asma Khalid]

The United States hosted the Club World Cup. Right.

[Dan Rowan]

Yeah.

[Asma Khalid]

Can you remind us of how we may have seen Trump's influence around that and what. And what consequences, if any, that may have had?

[Dan Rowan]

Well, there was one very obvious visual example of the sort of Trumpian influence on a sports event, and that came at the final where Chelsea, the Premier League team from England, London, won and Trump presented the trophy, as would be the case with many other sports events, using, you know, a leader, head of state to do that. But what would usually happen almost always is that that leader would then, having presented the trophy, leave the podium, leave the stage and allow the limelight to fall on the wal winning team. But he didn't. Infantino appeared to try and sort of usher him away as he walked away, but Trump wasn't having any of it and remained in the middle of the Chelsea team to the sort of confusion and surprise of some of them. Clearly, what do people make of that.

[Asma Khalid]

Moment in the sporting world?

[Dan Rowan]

I think it underlines the fact that Trump likes to be the center of attention. That doesn't come as any surprise, does it? But I think he just genuinely, in this second term, he seems to have really.

Noted the potential for sports events of that kind to provide that global exposure on the international stage. I was at the Ryder Cup a few weeks ago in New York, and he turned up there as well, and didn't just sit and watch from the stands. He walked down to the first tee and stood literally a few feet from Bryson DeChambeau, one of the US team players, as he teed off. And I think, you know, Trump clearly sees an opportunity with sport to appeal to his base, his supporters, and project a certain image to the outside world. But, you know, I think sport looks upon these things with a degree of unease. You know, they're not. And I think a lot of athletes are quite uneasy about this. And we've seen this play out, indeed, during his first term, haven't we, in the States, where he's invited certain NFL or NBA teams to the White House, winning teams, and some of them haven't wanted to appear because of the controversy over certain policies. I think what he perhaps has figured is that with football or soccer, as he'd call it, there's not so much opposition Potentially for him to get involved in those kind of moments.

[Asma Khalid]

So as this relationship between Trump and Infantino has really kind of blossomed, it seems like they're quite close buddies now. Have there been questions about the depth of that relationship from people within FIFA?

[Dan Rowan]

There have, yes. And a good example of this is when Infantino joined Trump on a tour of the Middle east and he arrived more than two hours late for his own FIFA congress in Paraguay. This was back in May, and there were UEFA delegates, that's Europe's football governing body, who were furious about this. In fact, they staged a walkout, those representing Europe, and they accused the president of prioritizing what they called private political interests, which does the game no service and appears to put its interests second. Infantino, in response, said that this trip had been crucial as it allowed him to represent football in important discussions with world leaders in politics and economy. But, of course, what it does do is it leads to further questions and scrutiny over whether Infantino should be forging this close alliance with a global leader, especially one who is, according to many, as divisive as Trump is. And I think we have to remember that FIFA does have rules on political interference. It tells national associations that they shouldn't allow politicians to interfere with their footballing matters. And I think, you know, therefore, he stands accused of hypocrisy by some. And I think some officials privately are expressing concern at FIFA and UEFA about this relationship with Trump.

[Asma Khalid]

I mean, if we look even beyond May, at that point, where it seems like some within FIFA had questions and concerns about Infantino's relationship with Trump. If we move into the fall. I remember this because I was rather extensively covering the story around Gaza and Israel and the ceasefire peace deal. And we see Infantino pop up again.

[Dan Rowan]

Yeah, this was a summit that was meant to be for world leaders in Egypt, in Sharm El Sheikh, I think, where the Gaza peace plan was signed. And then Infantino's photographed on stage. And I think he was the only sports official at the summit and the only one without a political role. You know, there he was, posing for photographs with Trump and with the Egyptian president.

[Gianni Infantino]

Well, football's role has to be to support, has to be to unite, has to be to give hope in the region.

[Dan Rowan]

He promised to launch a fund to rebuild infrastructure in Palestine to help reconstruct sports fields destroyed in Gaza facilities, will.

[Gianni Infantino]

Help to bring football back together with the Palestinian Football association in every corner of the country.

[Dan Rowan]

Said he'd been invited by Trump again. But I think, again, it just shows that he wants to appear alongside Trump at every opportunity, no matter where it is. It's interesting, one human rights group has been really critical of this, saying it was deeply troubling that he'd abandoned Infantino, all pretense of political neutrality, a neutrality that FIFA itself says it stands for and says it upholds. You know, and again, I think Infantino, if you look at some of the things he said in the past, he himself has said that it's important that sport and football are kept apart from politics. And yet his actions tell a different story. And they do jar with that foreign.

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[Asma Khalid]

So we've been discussing, discussing a situation in which Infantino has been trying to promote, you could say, football, soccer, diplomacy on the world stage. And there have been, at the same time, I will say, concerns about how the Trump administration's policies here at home on American soil might impact the actual tournament itself. Can you talk us through those concerns?

[Dan Rowan]

Of course, yeah. He's made a series of policy decisions and statements that I think could have a impact on the tournament.

[Donald Trump]

If we think there's going to be a sign of any trouble, I would ask Johnny to move that to a different city. We have a lot of cities that would love to have it, number one, and we'll do it very safely. So if we think there's a problem in Seattle, where you have a very, very liberal slash communist mayor, you know.

[Dan Rowan]

Last month at a meeting of the Oval Office, Trump suggested he might even try and move host cities if he has concerns over safety and security. And he asked Infantino if that could be done.

[Donald Trump]

Johnny, can I say we will move? I don't think you're going to have this problem, but we're going to move the event to someplace where it's going to be appreciated and safe.

[Asma Khalid]

Dan, can I pause on that real quick? Is it traditional that FIFA would come into an agreement with a host city, for example, like Boston or la?

[Dan Rowan]

Correct. I think FIFA officially are those who have the, you know, the contract agreement, the host city agreement, as opposed to the president or the White House. But nonetheless, this is what he said and, you know, it has inevitably caused a great deal of confusion and concern. And on the one hand, you know, perhaps it shouldn't come as that big a surprise given that Trump has made security and Democrat run cities such a feature of, of his tenure. You know, one can only imagine that the, the disruption it would create if, you know, Suddenly that was taken away from them or there was moves to do that. I think, you know, opponents of Trump view this as another example of sort of him being oppressive. And I think it's easy to see why there are concerns about what fans might encounter when they come, and also about football kind of being associated with these policies.

[Donald Trump]

Today I am signing a new executive order placing travel restrictions on countries including Yemen, Somalia, Haiti, Libya, and numerous others.

[Dan Rowan]

In June, Trump signed an executive order banning nationals from 12 countries from entering the U.S. as you know, we will.

[Donald Trump]

Not allow people to enter our country who wish to do us harm, and nothing will stop us from keeping America safe.

[Asma Khalid]

That's what I was gonna say. Just in the last couple of days, we've seen the Trump administration announce additional moves, not just on people who've entered the US through asylum, but even looking to review green card applicants. Basically, there have been additional steps around immigration security and vetting that they wanna take.

[Dan Rowan]

Yes.

[Asma Khalid]

Do you have a sense, or has FIFA at all talked about what that might mean for not just fans, but players?

[Dan Rowan]

So Iran and Haiti, okay, yes. Both have qualified for the World cup.

[Asma Khalid]

And both are on that travel bandwidth.

[Dan Rowan]

They are indeed. And we don't know who might be added to it. So this executive order exempted athletes and coaching staff traveling to the World cup and indeed the Olympics in 2028 and the Paralympics. But the fans could still face a ban, you know, and is that fair? You know, if a country can't have any traveling fans supporting it, is it put at a disadvantage?

[Asma Khalid]

Has FIFA directly addressed those concerns?

[Dan Rowan]

Infotainment has been asked, and he's not going to oppose or criticize Trump. He just simply says that, you know, security is crucial.

[Gianni Infantino]

Yeah, I think safety and security is the number one priority for a successful World Cup.

[Dan Rowan]

I think it's going to be a tournament that welcomes the world.

[Gianni Infantino]

We said it the very first time we met, Mr. President. America welcomes the world. America will welcome the world here.

[Dan Rowan]

But again, it does somewhat jar with these policies. And indeed, last week, the Iranian Football Federation said that they wouldn't be sending anybody to the draw after a lack of visa guarantees for their delegates. Trump has previously said that Iran is the source of terrorism around the world, and that's what lies behind the justification for this decision. But it's not reassuring for those countries involved that officials have already been denied visas for just the draw, let alone for the actual real thing. And I think another issue is that some countries whose teams have already qualified have very long wait times for visa appointments. There are Certain countries where if you're applying for a US visa, you're having to wait almost a year for an appointment. Now the White House has announced that US Embassies will give visa appointment priority to fans with tickets. But it's unclear still whether these new rules will cover ticket holders from countries that effectively are banned from traveling to the US And I think also, you know, this anti immigrant crackdown that we've seen, it has appeared to have extended to football.

[Asma Khalid]

ICE and Border Patrol agents are likely to be at matches according to their social media posts. Customs and Border Protection posting Let the games begin. CBB will be suited and booted ready to provide security for the first round of games.

[Dan Rowan]

Because we have had occasions with ICE agents attending matches during the Club World Cup. In fact, some human rights groups have given examples of people being arrested and taken away while attending that event.

[Advertisement Voice]

Instead of enjoying the day watching football with his 10 and 14 year old old sons, the father, an asylum seeker, was arrested, turned over to ice, held for three months in New Jersey's Delaney hall detention facility and then deported.

[Dan Rowan]

And so I think, you know, that is a concern and it may well deter certain fans from coming. So these are all examples of potential impacts. And then you've got the tension that exists with the co hosts. I mean it was only recently that Trump said he might launch strikes, as he put it, against Mexico if it in order to stop drugs from being trafficked into the US and we've had the trade tariff tension with Canada as well, the other co host and Mexico. Indeed. And so it does create some concern given the rhetoric and given the tension that exists between Trump and these two neighbors.

[Asma Khalid]

Is it unusual for FIFA to work closely with a government to put on the World cup or is that typical of what FIFA has done for previous World Cups?

[Dan Rowan]

It is. There has to be a degree of collaboration with the host country. But I think this feels, as we've discussed, close than ever. But would FIFA agree if he demanded it? I mean, given the closeness of the two men, it is quite difficult to imagine Infantino kind of standing up to Trump. And I think this is one of the concerns with this very close relationship is does he have the ability to actually object to certain things if he has to? Certainly FIFA officials and executives, when they've been asked, have sort of downplayed it and they've made the point that it's FIFA's jurisdiction and that FIFA would make such a decision rather than Trump.

[Asma Khalid]

I think it's fair to say, Dan, a lot of Americans are really excited about The World cup coming here. Soccer has been growing, I think, and it's popularity here. Certainly my kids are any metric, they are very excited about this all. But one thing I find really interesting is that soccer has been so popular around the world for so long, certainly amongst you Brits. What's the reaction been to this global institution, FIFA, that is supposed to be apolitical now, not just coming to the United States, not just courting Trump, but it seems ostensibly potentially using a vehicle like the FIFA Peace Prize to flatter the United States president. What does this mean? What has the reaction around the world been?

[Dan Rowan]

I think those who have been following FIFA politics closely are maybe worn down somewhat by instances like this. And what for people who don't follow football may appear outlandish or brazen. Those of us who have been following FIFA for a long time are kind of used to it, really. And if you look at the way Infantino has treated world leaders, whether it's Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Russia and now the US it is consistent. But I do think that the draw will help reveal further the closeness of that relationship. The awarding of the Peace Prize, for example, the fact that they'll play Trump's favorite song on stage, the fact that he'll be there at all. And I think more and more people will kind of wake up to this and ask what it means. It's clearly mutually beneficial to both parties. Trump wants a really major moment to project his image. The football World cup provides it. Infantino needs a really lucrative tournament. The North American tournament provides it. Whether this is a PR exercise or whether it's genuinely based on mutual admiration and affection, who knows? I think it's going to be tested in the coming months and indeed during the tournament itself. But, you know, I do think major questions will hang over this tournament because of that. How well concerned visitors will be, whether host cities could be changed. You know, and I think there is this danger that an organization that's meant to be politically neutral could become too politicized, that there is this blurring of sport and diplomacy, that this alignment between FIFA and maga, between Infantino and Trump, really undermines this insistence that football exists beyond politics. And if you talk to civil liberties groups, as I have, and human rights groups here in the U.S. now, they do say the FIFA risks becoming a stage two authoritarianism, that it could undermine the integrity of the tournament.

FIFA insists, as does Trump, that this is going to be a unifying event that's either going to welcome the world, but unless that's proven, and I guess those words could prove hollow. But I think Trump needs this event to go well, and that may also partly explain why he's developed this relationship with his counterpart at FIFA headquarters.

[Asma Khalid]

Well, we will see how it all pans out. Dan, thank you so much for joining us and good luck covering the draw.

[Dan Rowan]

Thank you.

[Asma Khalid]

I'm sure we'll be excited.

[Dan Rowan]

I'm sure it will.

[Asma Khalid]

That was Dan Rowan, the BBC sports editor. You can follow all the live coverage of the World cup [e-mail] and if you want to hear more about international tournaments, take a listen back to our episode from last week on the scandal hit Miss Universe and what it says about modern femininity. The producers on our episode today were Sam Chaturasak and Ahron Keller. This episode was edited by Bridgette Harney and engineered by Travis Evans. I'm Asma Khalid. And folks, that is it for today's episode of the Global Story. Thanks as always for listening and we hope you have a great weekend.

Hey, this is Sarah. Look, I'm standing out front of a.m. p.m. Right now and well, you're sweet and all, but I found something more fulfilling, even kind of cheesy, but I like it. Sure, you met some of my dietary needs, but they've just got it all. So farewell oatmeal. So long, you strange soggy.

[Dan Rowan]

Break up with bland breakfast and taste.

[Donald Trump]

AM PM's bacon, egg and cheese biscuit.

[Dan Rowan]

Made with cage free eggs, smoked bacon and melty cheese on a buttery biscuit.

[Donald Trump]

AM PM too much. Good stuff.