United States President Donald Trump has suggested that participation in the 2026 FIFA World Cup could serve as a diplomatic motivator for Russia to end its war with Ukraine.
Speaking alongside FIFA President Gianni Infantino at the inaugural meeting of his administration’s World Cup taskforce, Trump appeared surprised to learn of Russia’s ongoing suspension from international football competitions.
The Russian national team has been banned by both FIFA and UEFA since early 2022 following its invasion of Ukraine.
“I didn’t know that, is that right?” Trump asked, to which Infantino confirmed: “They are banned for the time being… but we hope peace will happen so that Russia can be readmitted.”
Trump responded: “That’s possible. Hey, could be a good incentive, right? We want them to stop. 5,000 people a week are being killed — it’s not even believable. We’re going to get that war stopped.”
While European qualification for the 2026 tournament, set to be co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico, is already underway, Russia remains excluded.
The nation has not played a competitive match since November 2021 and has only participated in friendlies since.
Infantino previously stated that reintroducing Russia to international football would be a signal that geopolitical tensions had eased, a view echoed by UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin: “When the war stops, they will be readmitted.”
