The president of the International Football Federation (FIFA), Gianni Infantino, stated this Monday (26) that the 2026 World Cup, in the United States, Mexico and Canada, will be an occasion to unite people, “especially in our world today”.
Infantino commented on a possible boycott of the tournament by some European teams, following threats from US President Donal Trump to take over Greenland.
“I always look to the future and, for me, what is important in football events, such as the World Cup, the Men’s World Cup or the Women’s World Cup here in Brazil, is to unite people, unite countries, unite people from all over the world”, he highlighted, after meeting with President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, at Palácio do Planalto.
According to Infantino, FIFA has received more than 500 million ticket requests for this year’s World Cup, out of the 6 million tickets available. “So people want to go and people go and celebrate and we celebrate football together, always. We need occasions to bring people together, especially in our world today,” he added.
Trump has said he intends to impose tariffs on European nations that do not support his plan to take control of Greenland. The argument for taking over the autonomous territory of Denmark is the national security of the United States.
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Despite the French government’s opposition to Trump’s plans, according to Reuters, French Sports Minister Marina Ferrari stated that she does not foresee her country withdrawing from the World Cup.
“So far, there is no intention on the part of the ministry to boycott this great competition”, declared the minister. “I’m not going to anticipate what could happen, but I’ve also heard voices speaking out in certain political blocs. I’m one of those who believe in the separation between sport and politics. The World Cup is an extremely important moment for those who love sport”, added Marina Ferrari.
The 2026 World Cup will be the first edition to be played in three countries and will bring together 48 teams. The tournament starts on June 11th, in Mexico City, the Mexican capital.
Football in Brazil
In 2027, Brazil will host the FIFA Women’s World Cupthe main topic of the meeting between Lula and Infantino, this Monday. FIFA expects Brazil to receive around 3 million fans from all over the world for the competition.
According to Infantino, everything is ready in Brazil and the event aims to boost women’s football and all women’s causes, such as combating violence and feminicide. “We will work on education on this topic,” he stated.
The president of the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF), Samir Xaud, also said that Brazil should apply to host the FIFA Club World Cup in 2029. “We believe that Brazil is capable of hosting this great event, but this requires many conversations, many adjustments, but Brazil will, yes, put forward its candidacy for 2029”, he said.
