UEFA Accuses FIFA of Playing Politics with Trump

World football has seen its fair share of power struggles. But now the divide between Europe’s football leaders and FIFA is widening again.

The latest clash centers on FIFA President Gianni Infantino—and a trip he made with Donald Trump.

Infantino recently joined Trump on a tour of Gulf countries, including Qatar and Saudi Arabia, according to Ziare. These are key nations in football.

Qatar hosted the 2022 World Cup. Saudi Arabia will host in 2034. During the trip, Trump signed a gold football, given to him by Qatar’s emir. Infantino was there to watch it happen.

While he traveled with Trump, FIFA’s annual congress was taking place in Paraguay. This is one of the most important meetings in the sport.

Delegates from all 211 member nations were present. But Infantino was not.

He showed up three hours late due to travel delays. The agenda had to be changed to accommodate him.

That didn’t sit well with UEFA. Leaders from Europe, including UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin and English FA Chair Debbie Hewitt, walked out in protest.

They said the schedule changes were made for personal political reasons and didn’t reflect the interests of football.

UEFA released a strong statement. They said the last-minute changes were disappointing.

The congress, they argued, should be about the game—not political gestures.

They thanked the Paraguayan hosts but said it was wrong to change plans to suit one person’s travels.

European officials decided to continue as planned and made it clear that, for them, football must come first.

Infantino apologized several times on stage. He said representing FIFA in the Gulf was important. He insisted he had acted in the best interest of the organization.

Still, frustration is growing. European members feel left out of key decisions. They also believe FIFA has moved further away from shared values.

Norway’s Lise Klaveness, known for her criticism of FIFA, called Infantino’s absence “worrying.”

She demanded answers and urged FIFA to better respect its members in the future.

The conflict is far from over.