Trump and Infantino – A reminder that things can obviously get worse

FIFA hates it if someone commits the heinous sin of “mixing politics and sports” unless of course it’s their kind of politics. And in FIFA’s more than a century-long history, their brand of politics has often been very difficult to evaluate in an optimistic light. From selling World Cup hosting rights regularly to the cause of sportswashing, to actively working against human rights, and outright lying about its carbon footprint, FIFA has been a classic supervillain of a mega-corporation. And the men at its very top have often personified the whole mechanism. Gianni Infantino is no exception, as he is not exceptionally excusable, but he is indeed an exception, as there hasn’t been any other FIFA president to have had their own name (twice) carved in a trophy.

It is tiring to write about Gianni Infantino. He reminds one of all the bad things that we want not to remember all the time. Still writing about him is a part of my job as a football writer. What is not, is writing about a certain Donald Trump. But lately, the latter has made sure one can discuss almost nothing without his mention finding a way in. From climate to social media, from business to politics, anything one talks about, Trump makes sure he somehow rears his ginger head. And the “friendship”, a diabolically happy choice of word for what ostensibly is convenient back-scratching in pursuit of ever greater fame, money and power, between Gianni Infantino and Donald Trump is something we can’t look past in football today, especially with a World Cup, where the USA is a co-host, looming over us.

While FIFA has always loved pandering to authoritarian rulers, be it Mussolini, or Putin, or… well, one can go on for pretty long, I suppose. But Infantino’s FIFA isn’t just pandering to Trump; it is almost making him a partner in crime, constantly providing the US President a platform and numerous opportunities to rehabilitate his image. While for most of FIFA’s history, they have whataboutaried their way out of accusations of being collaborators of vile regimes, this time FIFA is celebrating the fact of being collaborators with Trump with a gleeful brazenness.

Last Wednesday in Miami, Infantino attended a business event in his capacity as the FIFA President. He took the opportunity to add another coat of sheeny paint on his “friendship” with Trump. He pointed out how Trump, who, among other things, is a serial sex offender, transphobe, misogynist and xenophobic per excellence, “does what he says” and “says what he thinks”. That should sound like a recipe for disaster, but Infantino is quick to point out that he finds criticism of Trump surprising. He then went on to call for support from “we all” towards Trump’s policies, which is something even seasoned FIFA officials, who are not really known for drawing lines, are drawing a line at. This is the same US President, one must remember, who has explicitly called for denying hosting rights to cities without elected representatives who unquestioningly toe his line. While such a comment, nay, threat, should have met with outright condemnation from FIFA, Trump knows he can say anything he thinks is right, because, remember, that’s what the FIFA President likes him for. Luckily for FIFA, to do what he says in this case, the phone call Trump needs to make is to one Gianni Infantino, a willing friend. And Trump himself has alluded to that possibility. But while such a drastic action seems far-fetched, mainly because it will hurt the big corporations that sponsor the World Cup, FIFA is actively finding newer avenues to make Trump happy by stroking his massive, insatiable ego.

One of those new avenues was announced by FIFA last Wednesday. The creation of “FIFA Peace Prize”, which Infantino bragged about in Miami, would “recognise the outstanding contribution of those who work hard to end conflicts and bring people together in a spirit of peace”. He didn’t mention, though, how many times his own name will be inscribed upon the haughty laurel. No sooner did Infantino finish talking about the prize, he moved into a buoyant celebration of Trump and the “friendship”. The prize will be handed out on December 5th, on the occasion of the World Cup draw announcement, in an event that, we all have long known, will be marked by Trump’s presence. Infantino hasn’t really left much to the imagination here. Friend Trump is sad that the Nobel Peace Prize hasn’t been awarded to him, hence friend Infantino will make friend Trump happy by creating and presenting him with a peace prize. Neat.

What I am writing is a little more than a rant. There is no conclusion to draw, nor is there any blueprint about what any of us can do about it. But I tried. Here is a conclusion: things can always get worse, even when we think they have hit rock bottom. And here goes a (nauseatingly insufficient) blueprint for action as football fans – boo until the lungs give in. It’s a good place to start.