Former FIFA President Blatter slams Gianni Infantino's relationship with Donald Trump: 'It's wrong!'

Martin Macdonald

• 6 Dec 2025 05:30 CST
• 4 min read

Nieuws

Former president of FIFA Sepp Blatter certainly isn't a fan of his successor Gianni Infantino and believes the current president should be scrutinised for his relationship with Unites States President Donald Trump.

Blatter served as president between 1998 and 2015 when he was forced to leave due to a widespread corruption scandal. He has escaped criminal charges, but still faces a civil action case.

When Infantino was named president, he vowed to “kick out and punish” those responsible for the corruption within FIFA.

Now, though, the Italian-Swiss is under the microscope for a number of reasons.

His relationship and friendship with Donald Trump, cosying up to figures from Saudi Arabia, and expanding the football calendar with the Club World Cup are just some of the issues that have generated negative press for Infantino.

At the 2026 World Cup group stage draw on Friday, he presented Trump with the inaugural 'FIFA Peace Prize' and this raised many eyebrows as it's an award that has never been presented before. Many believe it was created to feed Trump's ego as the eyes of the world looked upon the ceremony in Washington D.C.

“We have 211 national associations... and there is not one single association who is opposed to the work of the new president who speaks only with heads of states, and who has brought politics into this World Cup,” Blatter told the Telegraph.

“It is a wonderful game, social, cultural – it can be economic – but it’s for the world. Because it’s the most popular game in the world. And now they give the impression that politicians – on one side Saudi Arabia, and on the other side USA – will take over.

“I think this is not the right thing and I’m looking forward with interest now to the 2026 World Cup, how it will be played in three countries.”

Blatter does not think FIFA should be handing out peace awards to politicians, either.

“They should not give [the award],” he said in the interview prior to the draw.

“Football should not give the prize of peace. One day we should receive the prize of peace because we are working for peace. Now they are discussing it in Norway, especially, because the Nobel Prize is based in Norway. In Norway, they are looking [for] who is working for peace. But here they are not working for peace. They will create a new peace award in football.

“I think that’s wrong. Football should receive it from the existing organisation. But this does not go into the heads of those that are directing the football. That’s a pity. That’s a pity.

“My successor, I don’t know if it is really Trump or Infantino. I cannot say they should not have a good friendship, but I don’t see exactly the big interest of football.

“I see this as personal connections, especially with Trump, and I’m not so sure where the actual trophy of the World Cup, which has always been in Zurich well guarded until the opening of the new World Cup, [is]. I doubt that. Perhaps that his trophy is already in the White House.”

Football calendar expansion

In the summer of 2025, FIFA brought back the Club World Cup for the biggest ever edition of the tournament, with 32 teams competing in the United States.

There is now more football in the calendar than ever before and players are being stretched to their limits.

After the announcement of the Club World Cup, strike action was even mentioned.

Blatter has accused Infantino of not caring about the wellbeing of the players.

“There is too much football in the world, with the repetition of the creation of new competitions in order to make sure we are there,” says Blatter. “But sometimes less would be more efficient than to be present everywhere, and to be present only with the help of politicians now and not with the help of the football family.

“I can understand that the organisation of the players, they are not happy with that, but they have no direct contact with the leader. The leader does not listen to the players. He has some other organisation.”

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