![\"President](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/GettyImages-2213213315.jpg\")
\n\t\tDonald Trump says World Cup participation could be an \u2018incentive\u2019 for Russia to end the war (Picture: Getty)<\/p>\n
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\n\t\tDonald Trump says World Cup participation could be an \u2018incentive\u2019 for Russia to end the war (Picture: Getty)<\/p>\n
Donald Trump<\/a> has sensationally claimed that the football World Cup<\/a> in 2026 could help end Russia<\/a>\u2019s invasion of Ukraine<\/a> and shut down the war.<\/p>\n Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022<\/a> over the ex-Soviet nation\u2019s growing defence ties with NATO<\/a>, with Russian president Vladimir Putin<\/a> viewing the Western alliance as a threat to his own country\u2019s security.<\/p>\n But Ukraine<\/a>, who gained independence in 1991 when the Soviet Union<\/a> dissolved, is not a NATO member and Russia\u2019s invasion \u2013 the largest and deadliest war in Europe since World War II \u2013 has been widely condemned.<\/p>\n More than three years have passed since Russia\u2019s invasion and the two nations are still fighting but Trump vowed to bring peace on \u2018day one\u2019 of his second term as USA president, with the American elected in November<\/a>.<\/p>\n Trump has held several rounds of talks<\/a> with Putin and Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy but has been so far unable to help end the war \u2013 although he now believes the football World Cup could play a major role.<\/p>\n The United States are hosting the World Cup next year<\/a> along with Canada and Mexico but Russia are currently banned by both FIFA and UEFA from participating in international competitions due to their invasion of Ukraine.<\/p>\n Trump has now said that reinstating Russia for the tournament could help end the war in Ukraine, feeling that it \u2018could be a good incentive\u2019 for Putin.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\tDonald Trump makes World Cup blunder\t\t\t<\/p>\n \t\t Trump confused the FIFA Club World Cup with the FIFA World Cup in March, with the United States hosting both football tournaments.<\/p>\n The American president did not grasp that they were separate events, with the former contested by football clubs around the world and the latter an international competition between various countries.<\/p>\n \u2018I thought you should see this trophy as it\u2019s the biggest sporting event in the world and we have it here,\u2019 Trump said about the new Club World Cup trophy, confusing it with the world-famous World Cup trophy.<\/p>\n Speaking at the first meeting of his administration\u2019s 2026 World Cup taskforce, Trump was unaware Russia were banned from participating.<\/p>\n \u2018I didn\u2019t know that. Is that right?\u2019 Trump asked FIFA president Gianni Infantino, who was sat next to him.<\/p>\n Infantino said: \u2018That is right. They are banned for the time being from playing but we hope that something happens and peace will happen so that Russia can be readmitted.\u2019<\/p>\n \t\t\t\tWill Gianni Infantino bring Russia back into the fold?\t\t\t<\/p>\n \t\t FIFA president Infantino, speaking in March, said: \u2018As talks are going on for peace in Ukraine, I hope we can soon move to the next stage and bring back Russia in the football landscape.<\/p>\n Because this would mean everything is solved. That is what we have to cheer for, that is what we have to pray for, because that is what football is about.\u2019<\/p>\n Trump said: \u2018That\u2019s possible. Hey, that could be a good incentive, right?<\/p>\n \u2018We want to get them to stop. We want them to stop. Five thousand young people a week are being killed \u2013 it\u2019s not even believable.\u2019<\/p>\n Trump then admitted he had \u2018nothing to do\u2019 with reinstating Russia and declared that Infantino was \u2018the boss\u2019 over making any kind of decision.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\tWhich football team does Vladimir Putin support?\t\t\t<\/p>\n \t\t Putin is a fan of Zenit St Petersburg and has previously criticised the Russian club for having a high number of \u2018foreign\u2019 players.<\/p>\n \u2018You\u2019ve got eight foreigners running across the pitch, playing for Zenit in the Europa League, well done,\u2019 Putin said during the 2017-18 season.<\/p>\n \u2018And two Russian citizens; and the goalkeeper \u2013 that\u2019s three. It\u2019s very interesting.\u2019<\/p>\n European nations began their World Cup qualifying campaigns two months ago and the process is due to conclude in March next year.<\/p>\n It would therefore require an unprecedented and unlikely intervention from FIFA to accommodate Russia at the 2026 tournament.<\/p>\n The World Cup is the most watched sporting event in the world, with more than five billion people watching the tournament in some capacity in 2022.<\/p>\n Russia hosted the World Cup in 2018 and Putin is known to be a football fan, supporting his local club Zenit St Petersburg.<\/p>\n FIFA allowed Russia to host that World Cup despite their annexation of Crimea in 2014, the precursor to their current invasion of Ukraine.<\/p>\n Arrow Arrow![\"President](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/GettyImages-2203855324.jpg\")
\n\t\tDonald Trump mixed up two different football tournaments (Picture: Getty)<\/p>\n![\"President](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/GettyImages-2213794776.jpg\")
\n\t\tGianni Infantino succeeded Sepp Blatter as FIFA president in 2016 (Picture: Getty)<\/p>\n![\"Russia](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/SEI_246905982_3d3711.jpg\")
\n\t\tRussian president Vladimir Putin is known to be a football fan (Picture: AP)<\/p>\n
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