Conflicting Reactions from FIFA and IOC to Trump's Election... What Was Their Past Connection?

2026 North American World Cup - 2028 LA Olympics
Need for Collaboration with Trump 2nd Administration Increases
Infantino Says "Congratulations on Election"... Bach Remains Silent

The reactions of the F?d?ration Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to the election of former President Donald Trump in the U.S. presidential election are contrasting. Attention is focused on how the past relationships between the heads of these two organizations and President-elect Trump will affect preparations for upcoming events. Both the 2026 North American World Cup and the 2028 Los Angeles (LA) Olympics are scheduled to be hosted in the United States, and cooperation from the second Trump administration is crucial for the success of these events.

President-elect Donald Trump Photo by Reuters-Yonhap News

According to a recent report by the Associated Press (AP), "FIFA and the IOC, ahead of the World Cup and Olympics in the U.S., are showing different reactions to Trump's election." Immediately after Trump's victory, FIFA President Gianni Infantino posted a congratulatory message on his social networking service (SNS). In contrast, the IOC did not issue any statement. The IOC explained that it was maintaining its existing policy of neutrality and not supporting any particular political faction, but IOC President Thomas Bach had congratulated Emmanuel Macron on his initial election as French president in May 2017 by phone, calling it a "brilliant victory."

Both the World Cup and the Olympics are massive events worth billions of dollars. Cooperation from the host country is absolutely necessary. Not only during the preparation process but also for security, the host government must provide support from the military and police and grant permission for athletes, coaches, and tourists from around the world to gather.

AP emphasized, "Issues such as visa issuance and security provision must be discussed with the Trump administration. Diplomacy will be necessary in that process." It added, "Based on the communication process this week and earlier, FIFA is in a better position than the IOC in its relationship with the first Trump administration."

Both the North American World Cup and the LA Olympics were events successfully bid for during Trump’s first term. In 2017, LA won the Olympic bid, and in 2018, the North American World Cup was secured jointly with Canada and Mexico. At that time, since the events were scheduled 8 and 11 years later respectively, no one expected Trump to still be president.

Gianni Infantino FIFA President Reuters Yonhap News

Thomas Bach, IOC President Photo by AFP Yonhap News

In August 2018, then-President Trump met with President Infantino at the White House and reportedly said he would win the 2020 presidential election, adding, "I won’t be here in 2026." However, the situation changed in six years. Recently, Trump appeared on a podcast and boasted, "I really made both the World Cup and the Olympics happen."

It is difficult to predict whether cooperation between the second Trump administration and FIFA and the IOC will proceed smoothly. However, there are speculations that the relationships Trump had with President Infantino and President Bach could have an influence. The differing reactions from the two organizations immediately after the election are also thought to stem from these relationships.

First, Trump and Infantino met several times during Trump’s term. When Trump attended the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland, in January 2020 as the U.S. president, he referred to Infantino as "my great friend." Infantino recently moved to Miami, near Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence.

On the other hand, President Bach is reported to have a less favorable relationship with Trump. AP reported that when Bach visited the White House in June 2017 and met with then-President Trump, the meeting did not go well. At that time, final negotiations were underway between LA and Paris, France, for the 2024 and 2028 Olympic host cities, but the atmosphere was reportedly not good. Since then, the Trump administration did not release photos or press releases when the IOC delegation visited the U.S.