While Trump spoke, it appeared as if whenever he wanted to refer to Infantino by his first name - Gianni - the United States president called him "Johnny." It happened repeatedly, with the 79-year-old calling Infantino "Johnny" despite his name being Gianni.

Infantino has gone out of his way to placate this monster

The World Cup is supposed to be a soccer celebration, but fans might have second thoughts about visiting the United States if their teams play here.

In the USA, raids by masked federal agents are disappearing people, even US citizens, off the streets. Trump has antagonized and targeted co-hosts Canada and Mexico with an unnecessary and harmful tariff and border regime.

i think people shouldn’t go

FIFA has shown little regard for player or fan safety in the face of extreme heat risks, and this year’s World Cup (sponsored by the Saudi oil company Aramco) promises to have a significant carbon impact as the lack of public transit in the USA forces players & fans to rely on taxis and air travel.

Extreme heat has already been an issue in California, with fans describing conditions as “dangerous” and “horrific” after a FIFA security directive forced them to discard water bottles before entering, wait times of up to 45 minutes to buy water, and crowds at misting stations.

Meanwhile, Club World Cup matches are still scheduled to continue this week, with noon and 3pm kickoff times in Charlotte, Nashville, and Philadelphia.

FIFA and other nations around the world must denounce this xenophobic and isolationist policy, and call on the USA to abandon its plans to ban nearly a quarter of the world from visiting the host nation. We urge fans from around the globe to Boycott the World Cup in solidarity.
#BoycottUSA2026

These bans would directly impact World Cup participation among the Confederation of African Football nations, barring fans and supporters from Senegal, Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana, Egypt, Cameroon, and Tanzania—all of which are in contention to qualify for a trip to the World Cup.

The solution is clear.

“To hold these bullies accountable, we need the world to stand with us. … If what we’re witnessing is a precursor to the World Cup, then it has never been clearer that a boycott is necessary.”

#BoycottUSA2026

Infantino has been eager to align himself with the new Trump administration. Squandering the prestige of this global tournament to launder the USA’s backslide into human rights abuses and honoring a dictator.

While ICE threatens to check visas and passports outside stadiums, the USA has issued travel bans for Iran and Venezuela, recently announcing plans to ban visitors from 36 African and Middle Eastern countries, all while engaging in hostile diplomacy on the world stage.

FIFA has made no attempt to hide its preference for working with authoritarian nations, partnering with Russia, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and now the USA to co-host the 2026 World Cup.

Thank you! Reading it now, it's been a busy news day!

While this is still a tragedy for the players and fans, the one thing FIFA cares about above all else is money.