By Sama Marwan,
Former U.S. President Donald Trump believes that allowing Russia to participate in the 2026 FIFA World Cup—hosted by the United States—could serve as an incentive for Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Ukrainian counterpart to reach an agreement to end the war that has been ongoing since 2022.
According to the Associated Press, the Russian national football team has been banned from participating in international competitions organized by FIFA and UEFA since the outbreak of the war in Ukraine in 2022. Trump had previously promised during his election campaign to end the war on his first day in office if he wins a second term in November 2024, although he has since walked back those statements.
Under current rules, Russia is not eligible to participate in the 2026 World Cup, which will be co-hosted by the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. Qualifiers began in September 2023, with 45 available spots in addition to the three host nations.
Speaking at the first meeting of his administration’s task force on the 2026 World Cup, Trump suggested that reinstating Russia in the tournament could help bring an end to the war in Ukraine. Trump was seated next to FIFA President Gianni Infantino and appeared unaware that Russia had been banned from participating.
Trump asked, “I didn’t know that. Is that true?”
Infantino responded, “That’s true. They’re currently banned from playing, but we hope something changes and peace prevails so Russia can be reinstated.”
Trump replied, “That’s possible. Hey, that might be a good incentive, right? We want to push them to stop. We want them to stop. Five thousand young men are being killed every week—that’s unbelievable.” He added that Infantino was the “leader” when it comes to the decision on Russia’s participation, and emphasized that he himself had “nothing to do” with any potential invitation to reinstate Russia.
