United States President Donald Trump was surprised to find out this week that Russia was excluded from official soccer competitions by FIFA (International Football Federation) because of the invasion of Ukraine in 2022, and suggested that the country have its participation released at the 2026 World Cup.
Trump became aware of the ban during an interview with journalists at the White House alongside FIFA President Gianni Infantino.
“I didn’t know. Is that right?” A surprise Trump told Infantine. The Russian team was prohibited from participating in tournaments of the entity since February 2022, days after the country presided by Vladimir Putin invading the Ukrainian territory.
“They are forbidden to play for now, but we hope something will happen and peace will be established so that Russia can be readmitted,” Infantine said in the sequence.
The veto is valid for the men’s, female and basic teams, as well as for the country’s clubs.
Trump also suggested that Russians receive FIFA’s authorization to participate in the 2026 World Cup as a way to encourage a peace agreement with Ukraine. The World Cup will be jointly headquartered between the United States, Canada and Mexico.
“This could be a good incentive, right? We want them to stop [com a guerra]. Five thousand young people are killed a week, “said Trump.
At Paris Games, Russia also suffered sanctions from the COI (International Olympic Committee), and the Russian athletes who participated in the event could not compete with the colors of the country. They also had to prove that they did not support the invasion of Ukraine to have the authorized participation in the Olympics in the French capital.
