• Loading stock data...
Tuesday, July 29, 2025
Tuned In returns to NYC on September 16. Hear from the biggest names in sports media. Click here to get your spot

FIFA Tightens Trump Ties With Trump Tower Office

The inaugural office in New York marks a strategic move ahead of the 2026 men’s World Cup.

Gianni Infantino
Amanda Perobelli-Reuters via Imagn Images

FIFA opened a new office inside Trump Tower in New York on Monday, signaling the global soccer governing body’s increasingly close ties with President Donald Trump ahead of the 2026 men’s World Cup. 

FIFA president Gianni Infantino led the ceremony on Monday alongside Eric Trump, the son of the president and the nominal head of his family’s company, the Trump Organization. The office opening featured Brazilian soccer legend Ronaldo and the official trophy for the Club World Cup ahead of Sunday’s final in New Jersey.

The new Manhattan office comes just one year after the launching of FIFA’s Miami outpost and at a pivotal time as the organization prepares for its largest World Cup in history. 

“Today’s inauguration of this office is a landmark moment for FIFA,” Infantino posted after the ceremony. “From Trump Tower here in New York, today, we can confidently state that a new era of global Club Football has definitely started: the Golden Era of Club Football!”

Infantino has repeatedly called his $1 billion Club World Cup—launched to widespread skepticism from fans and players—the start of “a new era” of club soccer.

He took the opportunity Monday to thank Trump and his family for their support in hosting the Club World Cup, adding, “A big thanks to United States President @realdonaldtrump, @erictrump, as well as the @whtaskforcefifa for all your support of the ongoing FIFA Club World Cup.”

Still, his relationship with President Trump has not been without controversy. Critics have pointed to U.S. immigration policies and a recent travel crackdown as a potential threat to free movement for fans and players. 

A letter signed by more than 80 civil rights and labor groups was sent to Infantino on July 1 expressing “deep concern” that U.S. immigration and deportation policies could affect the safety and civil rights of fans at the upcoming World Cup.

Infantino and Trump have met multiple times this year, including visits to the White House and the president’s Mar-a-Lago estate. The Trump administration and FIFA have increasingly aligned around a vision of using soccer to unite the world in “peace, happiness, and joy,” as Infantino phrased it.

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

Top MLS Voices Advocate for International Schedule Change

The league is still weighing a move to align with international soccer.
Tom Brady

Tom Brady: I Don’t Look at My Team Ownership As a Business

Brady has amassed a major sports portfolio since retiring.

Inter Miami Owner Calls MLS Messi Suspension ‘Draconian’

Inter Miami’s owner and coach blast the league for penalizing the superstar.

Featured Today

Las Vegas sign

College Sports Embracing Vegas After Years of Cold Shoulder

The Big Ten became the latest newcomer to Sin City.
2000, Jupiter, FL, USA; FILE PHOTO; Montreal Expos pitcher Hideki Irabu in action on the mound against the New York Mets at Roger Dean Stadium during Spring Training
July 28, 2025

Dead Sports Franchises Are Alive and Well on Twitter

The Expos, Sonics, and Whalers have active social media accounts.
Limited Hype
July 27, 2025

Sneaker Reselling Was Once Easy Money. Success Is Now Complicated

Vendors need to evolve what they’re selling and how they do it.
HAPPY GILMORE 2. BTS - (L to R) Adam Sandler as Happy Gilmore and Rory McIlroy as himself on the set of Happy Gilmore2.
July 26, 2025

‘Cool As Hell’: How ‘Happy Gilmore 2’ Hooked Golf’s Top Stars

The process was “cool as hell,” Adam Sandler tells FOS.

Venezuelan Little League Baseball Team Denied Entry Into U.S.

The Cacique Mara Little League team was not allowed into the country.
[Subscription Customers Only] Jul 13, 2025; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; General view inside the stadium before the final of the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup at MetLife Stadium.
July 15, 2025

New York Pushes for Drone Defense Powers Ahead of 2026 World Cup

“The time for decisive action is now.”
Yucca and Gary Rieschel are donating $10 million to be used to bolster the USOPC’s mental health program. Syndication Westchester County Journal News
July 23, 2025

USOPC Follows Trump Order Banning Trans Athletes in Women’s Sports

The change impacts governing bodies, which extend beyond Olympic competition.
Sponsored

Game On: Portfolio Players Stories, Brought to You by E*TRADE from Morgan Stanley

Dealmaker Jeffrey Kaplan maps the evolution of sports as an asset class
Pam Bondi recognizes family and friends in attendance as she delivers opening remarks during a Senate Judiciary committee hearing on her nomination to be Attorney General of the United States on Jan. 15, 2025 in Washington, D.C.
July 9, 2025

DOJ Sues California Over Transgender Athlete Participation

The lawsuit claims the state is in violation of Title IX.
exclusive
July 8, 2025

Bipartisan Effort Mounts to Repeal Gambling Tax Hike in Trump Bill

The president signed the bill into law last week.
Donald Trump
July 5, 2025

Trump Bill Has $1.6 Billion for Olympics, World Cup Security

Host cities have lobbied for federal funding to help with security costs.
Mike Crapo
July 3, 2025

Trump Bill’s Tax Hike on Gamblers Was Authored by Sen. Mike Crapo

Crapo’s office did not respond to several messages seeking comment.