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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.
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