Trump and FIFA chief praise decision on U.S. forward, discuss World Cup expansion

President Donald Trump and FIFA president Gianni Infantino held a brief, media-free appearance at Trump Tower in Manhattan on Friday, shortly before the World Cup final at MetLife Stadium. The event, co-hosted by the White House and FIFA, focused on Infantino’s recent decision to suspend a one-game ban on U.S. forward Folarin Balogun, a move Trump said he had urged the FIFA chief to consider.

"You told me America would welcome the world and you did welcome the world," Infantino said, praising Trump’s earlier support for the 2026 tournament.

Trump thanked Infantino, calling the World Cup “the greatest human, social and cultural event mankind has ever witnessed,” and noted that the United States would benefit from the tournament’s success. He also criticized England coach Thomas Tuchel’s defensive tactics in the semi-final loss to Argentina, suggesting that striker Harry Kane should have been used more offensively.

The two leaders briefly touched on the prospect of expanding the World Cup from 48 to 64 teams for the 2030 edition, with Infantino indicating that FIFA is reviewing the idea. Trump joked about the United States potentially hosting a future tournament without Canada or Mexico and mentioned a possible joint U.S.–China hosting arrangement to reduce travel time for players.

The meeting concluded without a press Q&A, and FIFA has not scheduled a follow-up news conference. The Balogun disciplinary decision, which had been widely reported as non-appealable, remains unexplained by FIFA’s disciplinary committee, prompting accusations of political interference. Meanwhile, European officials have called for an ethics investigation into Infantino’s handling of the case and his earlier award of a FIFA Peace Prize to Trump.