FIFA, the football governing body that organises the World Cup competition, has faced pressure to petition United States President Donald Trump to avoid immigration raids at this year’s tournament.On Tuesday, the publication The Athletic cited anonymous sources as saying FIFA executives had approached the football association’s president, Gianni Infantino, with proposals to take to Trump, designed to lessen the likelihood of immigration crackdowns at the upcoming matches.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemsend of listThe article indicated that Infantino is considering a direct appeal to Trump. The request would reportedly include a “full moratorium on ICE [Immigration and Customs Enforcement] raids across the United States during the World Cup this summer”.This year’s World Cup matches are being cohosted by the US, Canada and Mexico, and kickoff begins in less than two months, on June 11.But the Trump administration’s push for mass deportation, as well as its efforts to tighten legal immigration pathways, have spurred concerns about whether the World Cup’s international audience might be targeted by US immigration authorities.In a statement on Tuesday to Al Jazeera, the White House declined to discuss negotiations with FIFA leadership, but it praised the upcoming football tournament as a boon for the US.“Thanks to President Trump’s leadership, the FIFA World Cup 2026 will be one of the greatest and most spectacular events in the history of mankind, right here in the United States of America,” …
