Trump: Russia’s World Cup return could be “good incentive” to end war

May 7, 2025 - 18:02

Russian missiles Mykolayiv

US President Donald Trump suggested that allowing Russia to participate in the 2026 World Cup could serve as an “incentive” to end the war in Ukraine.

Russia’s aggression in Ukraine killed 591 Ukrainian athletes and coaches in the war, with an additional 22 held in captivity and 11 missing, according to Ukraine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs as of April 2025. The Russian national football [soccer] team has been banned from international competition by FIFA and UEFA since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Russia was suspended not primarily for moral reasons but due to multiple European associations refusing to play against them, forcing a choice to exclude either Russia or many other teams to preserve competition integrity. However, the UEFA is considering the possibility of Russia’s return to European football tournaments.

Under current rules, Russia will not participate in the 2026 World Cup, which will be co-hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico. The qualification process began in September 2023, with 45 spots available in addition to the three host nations.

The comments from Trump came during the first meeting of Trump’s administration’s 2026 World Cup taskforce, where he was seated next to FIFA President Gianni Infantino, according to BBC.

When Trump learned about Russia’s ban, he asked, “I didn’t know that. Is that right?” Infantino confirmed the ban but expressed hope that peace would allow Russia’s readmission.

Trump responded, “That’s possible. Hey, that could be a good incentive, right? We want to get them to stop. We want them to stop. Five thousand young people a week are being killed – it’s not even believable.”

Trump clarified that Infantino was “the boss” regarding decisions about Russia’s participation and that he had “nothing to do” with any potential reinstatement.

During the same meeting, US Vice President JD Vance stated that while the US looks forward to welcoming fans from around the world for the tournament, supporters must “go home” afterward. The United States will host 78 of the 104 matches, including the final.

The World Tourism Forum Institute has warned that strict US immigration policies and global political tensions could “significantly” disrupt international arrivals for the event.

“I know we’ll have visitors, probably from close to 100 countries. We want them to come. We want them to celebrate. We want them to watch the game. But when the time is up, they’ll have to go home,” Vance remarked.

The FIFA Club World Cup, starting next month in the US across 12 stadiums, is expected to draw about two million overseas visitors.

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