There have been no official meetings, and no public statements. Everyone is instead looking to Fifa<\/a> president Gianni Infantino<\/a> and wondering exactly what he is thinking. That\u2019s one other consequence of such a federation being geared around one central figure, in a way that now means it may not have the governance suitable for such upheaval. If it seems absurd that all of this is on a president, that\u2019s just the way the system has been designed. Fifa<\/a> is not the forum for constructive debate.<\/p>\n This obviously goes way beyond any embarrassment over the Fifa Peace Prize, even as that gained an absurd new symbolism from Donald Trump<\/a>\u2019s post about its Nobel \u201ccompetitor\u201d. Where it is really relevant, however, is in how it makes Infantino even more central to a story that could yet collapse this World Cup. If that sounds ridiculous, just look at the headlines.<\/p>\n In normal cases, after all, a more apolitical federation could fairly cast itself as a victim of geopolitical events.<\/p>\n Infantino\u2019s open courting of Trump, however, makes him a much more central character in this. \u201cHe simply has to be worried about what next,\u201d in the words of one source who knows him.<\/p>\n Infantino is felt by other senior officials to be just hoping this ultimately passes in the way most Trump flare-ups do. Even if nothing happens, though, it is an unprecedented situation for Fifa to be in – and one accentuated by its president\u2019s proximity to this US administration.<\/p>\n If something does happen, however, Infantino faces the biggest crisis Fifa has ever had. The most lucrative ever World Cup may become the most ruinous. The tournament is square in the centre of it all.<\/p>\n Football\u2019s usual \u201cout\u201d in these situations – as has been witnessed with calls to ban Israel – is that individual national associations are generally guided on geopolitical positions by their governments. As FairSquare\u2019s Nick McGeehan says, though, the World Cup is now \u201can obvious point of leverage\u201d for European federations.<\/p>\n open image in gallery<\/p>\n Donald Trump has caused concern with Nato allies due to his insistence on taking control of Greenland, which leaves Fifa in an awkward position (Getty Images)<\/p>\n The idea of threatening a boycott has already been reported as being raised in German political circles, and there has been a petition in the Netherlands.<\/p>\n \u201cIt would be remarkable if European leaders weren’t seriously discussing a boycott as an option,\u201d McGeehan adds.<\/p>\n While no federation wants to openly talk about \u201cred lines\u201d and is generally referring to \u201chypotheticals\u201d, it doesn\u2019t even need to be said that any US invasion of Greenland<\/a> would force a strong response. What officials are especially concerned about is how the precedent of the Russia ban offers no breathing space, to say nothing of how this is just before the hosting of a World Cup, rather than after it.<\/p>\n Some senior figures additionally believe that a European bloc – and potentially all of Uefa<\/a> – may have to come up with a stance before any of that. Most want to show solidarity with Denmark<\/a>. Some of this was discussed between around 20 federations at a ceremony to mark the 150th anniversary of Hungary’s federation.<\/p>\n Again, it leaves many looking at Infantino.<\/p>\n open image in gallery<\/p>\n Infantino’s closeness to the Trump administration could cause a crisis at Fifa should the United States choose military action in Greenland (Getty Images)<\/p>\n This is where Fifa needs strong leadership, only putting further pressure on the president due to that existing understanding with Trump.<\/p>\n Any time that such relationships with the US president or actual autocratic leaders like Mohammed bin Salman are raised, the argument from within Fifa is that Infantino has no choice but to facilitate overtures from such figures. The highly debatable idea has even been suggested that such \u201cintegration\u201d will actually curb the worst excesses of dictatorships.<\/p>\n In other words, a modern sporting diplomacy.<\/p>\n Fifa has historically rejected such a role due to the awareness that geopolitical events way beyond its control can cause immense complications.<\/p>\n Like, for example, how a peace prize might look.<\/p>\n open image in gallery<\/p>\n Uefa and the Football Associations of European countries could organise a boycott of the World Cup should the Greenland situation deteriorate (Pool via REUTERS)<\/p>\n \u201cThis is why they didn\u2019t make themselves political,\u201d one senior executive says. \u201cIt\u2019s Harold Macmillan: events, dear boy, events.\u201d<\/p>\n Infantino has not followed that.<\/p>\n He has been explicit about the role of football and the World Cup in uniting the world and bringing \u201cpeople together\u201d. Those close to the president within Fifa have even talked about how few people in the world are as well-equipped to mediate in Israel-Palestine.<\/p>\n Infantino himself has even described this very World Cup as \u201cthe biggest moment in history, a moment that brings the whole world together\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd we want everyone to be united\u2026 the world will stand still and watch what happens in the three amazing host countries.\u201d<\/p>\n That was on his Instagram in 2023. There\u2019s nothing about any of this now. And the world is indeed watching.<\/p>\n If ever there was a time for Infantino\u2019s questionable relationship with Trump to be useful, and even justifiable, it is now. Who is actually better to talk to him about this? Other \u201cpremiers\u201d aren\u2019t, given their own national pressures.<\/p>\n Does Infantino even have the skills to talk to Trump in this way, though? Some argue that the Fifa Peace Prize was specifically awarded for this purpose, to smooth the US president for future political leverage.<\/p>\n That prospect entirely depends on Infantino\u2019s approach.<\/p>\n \u201cTrump remains at his heart a ratings man, and a European boycott kills this World Cup and would deprive him of his role in the ‘greatest show on earth\u2019,\u201d McGeehan adds. \u201cBeyond that, a boycott would provoke anger in the host cities, and among sponsors and broadcasters.\u201d<\/p>\n It potentially leaves Infantino hoisted by his own petard, especially as other football figures are generally scathing about his geopolitical \u201ccosplaying\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s back to him thinking he rubs shoulders with Trump and MBS, whereas they see him as a useful idiot,\u201d one says.<\/p>\n open image in gallery<\/p>\n Infantino’s influence on Trump could yet help or harm Fifa’s non-political stance (Getty Images)<\/p>\n More abrasive officials believe a truly politicised Fifa should now be more hardline, and threaten to move the World Cup now, given Denmark<\/a> are one of their members.<\/p>\n Uefa<\/a> also have the potential power play of finally giving Greenland<\/a> full membership, in the way they\u2019ve wanted, but there is currently no will to do that.<\/p>\n The situation has rippled out in other ways. US investors have recently been especially interested in Danish clubs due to the football environment and access to Europe, but one source involved in a negotiation says it has been suspended pending what happens with Greenland.<\/p>\n As of now, like much of the world, football is waiting – and hoping. None more so than the president who brought the tournament to the States. The time for politics is actually now. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Your support helps us to tell the story From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":256001,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[61,60,112],"class_list":{"0":"post-256000","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-sports","8":"tag-ie","9":"tag-ireland","10":"tag-sports"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/256000","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=256000"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/256000\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/256001"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=256000"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=256000"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=256000"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"Donald](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Press-Secretary-Karoline-Leavitt-Holds-A-Briefing-At-The-White-House-uvdc5zlk.jpeg\")
<\/p>\n![\"Infantino's](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Chelsea-FC-v-Paris-Saint-Germain-Final-FIFA-Club-World-Cup-2025-nekf6rfw.jpeg\")
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