No matter what side of the political aisle you sit on, or even if you straddle the middle, there’s no denying that right-wing politics are having a moment in the United States. From President Donald Trump having a replica of the World Cup trophy behind his desk when he’s signing his umpteenth executive order to FOX Sports pundit Alexi Lalas’ daily Republican Party manifesto on X, it’s hard for soccer fans to escape the beat of the red drum.
At the same time, with Trump aligning himself more closely with Russia and Vladimir Putin, what impact will it have on world soccer? In the scope of things, soccer is of little to no significance to much bigger and more important global issues such as the future of Ukraine and Gaza, but since this is a soccer website and the topic has been raised, let’s look at it more closely.
The FIFA World Cup trophy on the desk behind Trump is a constant reminder of the close relationship between Trump and FIFA President Gianni Infantino. If you missed it, the two have created quite a bromance, having met several times in recent years, including a visit to Trump’s Mar-a-Lago palace in Florida. Infantino was even at Trump’s inauguration. Trump also opened the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup draw in December via a pre-recorded message.
Infantino recently wrote on Instagram, “Thank you Mr President for your time and for supporting FIFA over the coming months. America welcomes the World and Football Unites The World!”
Russia’s return to UEFA is almost impossible
So what if Infantino and Trump are bosom buddies? How does that impact world soccer, especially when Trump is aligning himself with Putin? The cozier the relationship between Trump and Infantino, the more likely it is that Trump and Putin may discuss privately the topic of Russia being allowed back into the world’s game, with Trump’s help.
Similarly, the meetings between officials from the United States and Russia this past week could open the door for a Russian entry point into future competitions. It is noteworthy that the US-Russia discussions about Ukraine were held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia is hosting the 2034 FIFA World Cup and has sought to present itself as a global peacemaker. Surely, Russia and Putin would gladly welcome a return to FIFA World Cup competitions.
Since 2022 when Russia invaded Ukraine to start its war, many European leagues as well as UEFA and US Soccer came out in opposition to Russia’s attempt to expand its territory. If you remember, UEFA quickly moved the 2022 UEFA Champions League Final from Russia to France. All of the Premier League clubs showed solidarity for Ukraine with its Football Stands Together campaign. Bundesliga clubs painted a peace symbol on their pitches. LaLiga displayed a message on its broadcasts. US Soccer denounced Russia and said it would not compete against Russia until peace and freedom were restored.
Furthermore, FIFA and UEFA expelled Russia from international competitions. As recently as November 2024, both FIFA and UEFA extended that decision, which means that Russia is excluded from future soccer international competitions such as World Cup 2026, which will be held in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
Trump + Russia + World Cup: Russia’s path back to the World Cup?
The likelihood of Russia being allowed back into UEFA is almost impossible at this time. Instead, it’s quite possible that Russia may consider joining the Asian Confederation instead in hopes of a qualification path to future FIFA competitions. Russia previously decided not to vote on it, but that was well before its war against Ukraine dragged on.
Russia has run out of time to qualify for World Cup 2026, so Trump can’t help them here. However, World Cup 2030 is quite possible if Russia can be added to the Asian Football Confederation (AFC).
While the possible scenarios for Russia in a future World Cup are notable, Russia and Putin have far bigger problems ahead of their country than a World Cup right now. Putin still has a warrant for his arrest for allegedly committing war crimes against humanity. Russia, meanwhile, needs its illegal war to end to avoid a bleak financial future.
