FIFA president Gianni Infantino speaks during the congress in Vancouver. Infantino felt the need to assert Thursday that Iran will be allowed to compete in this summer's World Cup.Jennifer Gauthier/Reuters
For weeks now, through little asides as well as proxies, U.S. President Donald Trump has toyed with the idea of kicking Iran out of the upcoming World Cup. At one point, he warned that the Iranians ought not come “for their own life and safety.”
An American envoy to Europe tried kicking tires on the idea of replacing Iran (who qualified fair and square for the tournament) with Italy (who did not). An Italian official called the idea “shameful.”
The rubes that America has representing its interests abroad these days don’t know enough to know when they are offending people.
At Thursday’s congress in Vancouver, FIFA president Gianni Infantino – another Trump shill – felt the need to assert that “of course” Iran will be allowed to compete.
“We have to unite the world, and we have to remember, always, that we have to be positive,” Infantino said. “We have to be smiling. We have to be happy.”
If soccer doesn’t work out, Infantino could try hosting the world’s most chilling children’s program.
Afterward, Trump was asked what he thought about Infantino’s assurance.
“Well, if Gianni said it, I’m okay,” Trump said.
Sounds rock solid to me.
FIFA congress in Vancouver exposes rifts
The World Cup doesn’t start for another one-and-a-half months. How much would you bet that if the Strait of Hormuz isn’t open, and Brent crude is cresting 150 bucks a barrel, that Donald Trump won’t change his mind again? Would you bet nothing? Because that would be my max, too.
Every major sports tournament would like to think that it will mark an inflection point in sports history. World Cup 2026 may be the rare one that does.
For the first time, we are debating whether the biggest sports tournament in the world should be meritocratic, or whether it should adopt a “friends and family” policy.
Though plenty of international villains have made the cut, no qualified country that agrees to follow the rules has ever been denied access to a World Cup.
North Korea made this thing 16 years ago and no one blinked. After the team blew a tire, there were reports that their head coach was ritually humiliated and sent to do hard labour. FIFA sent a letter. Nobody ever heard from the coach again. North Korea was back for the next qualifying cycle.
Until a few months ago, no one would have seriously suggested anybody be denied entry, for any reason. Not because it’s wrong. No one working at this level cares about right or wrong. They care about their cut.
They would never dream of bringing it up because to do so puts the enterprise in existential jeopardy. FIFA, like the International Olympic Committee, thrives because it is universally adopted. Palestine and Israel both showed up at the Congress in Vancouver and spent the day staring holes into each other. But as offended as they may be by each other’s presence, neither would dare miss the party.
Infantino shakes hands with Jibril Rajoub, president of the Palestine Football Association, as Moshe Zuares, president of the Israeli Football Federation, looks on during the FIFA Congress in Vancouver.Jennifer Gauthier/Reuters
South Africa tried to stare down the world sports establishment that way – refusing to abide by basic rules of racial fairness and therefore disqualifying itself. Its self-imposed sporting exclusion helped bring down apartheid.
Now, thanks to Trump, we’re talking about ending a sports regime that has existed for well over a century. The IOC created this template when it ginned up a reason to ban Russia from the 2022 Paralympics after the invasion of Ukraine. It knew why it did it, but couldn’t explain it using the existing rules, so it didn’t bother.
In that instance, it was most of the rest of the world against one country. It didn’t make it correct, but there was at least something like consensus. In this instance, we’re talking about one man’s grudge.
Whether or not Iran is denied access to the tournament, it is already a topic that the head of FIFA feels the need to address. Which means such discussions are on the table going forward.
It’s also clear that if Trump were to carry through on his formerly veiled threat, the tournament will continue. Nobody’s going to take a principled stand, which means the principle is meaningless.
In the great scheme of things, watching a bunch of guys run around in short pants doesn’t add up to much. But the World Cup and events like it aren’t just sport. They are the most cost-effective form of diplomacy we have ever created.
Trump unsatisfied with new proposal from ‘disjointed’ Iranian leadership
You’ve gotten everybody in the world who hates each other to agree to get together. They have further agreed a framework of rules that is unchanging, and neutrally enforced. For the duration of this meeting, politics are put to one side. Then everyone shows up and has fun.
You ever had fun with someone and walked away hating them? Very difficult. You may still dislike them, or hate what they’re about. But having seen them as people very much like you, you can’t bring yourself to feel any personal animus toward them any more.
That’s what we’re talking about giving up – turning the many instances of “us” that a major sports tournament creates into “them.” Even during the scariest parts of the Cold War, nobody thought this was a good idea.
Trump isn’t the only one pushing for this kind of thing. Plenty of people would like Israel banned outright, as well as Russia. The Venice Biennale jury just quit because artists from both countries were included. Now we all have to wait several more months to see which truck tire made of tampons wins their top prize.
Banning doesn’t solve your existing problem. It creates new ones. It hardens existing hatreds. It entrenches prejudice on both sides. Like the one to punish, the urge to ban is the hallmark of a small mind.
Maybe it’s inevitable that we fall into the banning trap. Relative to the rest of history, we’ve had it too good for too long. That seems to be at the root of a lot of the world’s current issues.
It’s time to do away with these out-of-touch institutions and create new cliques. Then we can experience firsthand the grim circumstances that prompted us to create the institutions in the first place.