Donald Trump & Gianni Infantino: ‘World Cup draw will illustrate close relationship’
Amid such soccer diplomacy, concerns have also been raised about the impact some of Trump’s policies and statements could have on the World Cup, as well as uncertainty over how visitors from certain countries will be received.
In June, the White House listed 19 countries, mainly in Africa, the Middle East and the Caribbean, that would face full or partial immigration restrictions, referring to the need to manage security threats.
Despite suggestions the list could be expanded to 30 countries after an Afghan was identified as a suspect in the recent shooting of two National Guard soldiers near the White House, FIFA has promised to organize a welcoming and unifying tournament.
But Iran and Haiti, whose teams qualified for the World Cup, are among the countries affected by the ban. Last week, Iran announced its intention to boycott the draw due to the limited number of visas for its delegation.
The June decree exempts athletes and coaching staff from traveling for the World Cup, but fans could be barred.
“We want to make sure that we are as welcoming as possible,” Andrew Giuliani, executive director of the White House World Cup task force, said Wednesday.
Giuliani praised a program designed to reduce wait times for visitor visa interviews for those with tickets, but he did not rule out Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids targeting undocumented immigrants at World Cup venues. Giuliani insisted that authorities wanted to ensure that visitors entered the United States legally in order to prioritize the safety of American citizens.
Such a stance worries civil liberties advocates, with Human Rights Watch saying the draw will take place “against a backdrop of violent immigrant detentions, National Guard deployments in American cities, and obsequious cancellation of FIFA’s anti-racism and anti-discrimination campaigns.”
“There is still time to honor FIFA’s promises for a World Cup free from human rights violations, but time is running out,” he said.
In a meeting with Infantino in the Oval Office last month, Trump suggested he might even pull games from Democratic-run host cities if he had concerns about safety and security.
While it’s unclear whether the president will — or even could — follow through on a decision that would result in major logistical and legal disruptions, his remarks have added to the uncertainty surrounding the tournament.
At the same meeting, Trump suggested he might launch “strikes” against Mexico if it would prevent drug trafficking into the United States. Coming after Trump’s trade policies had already caused friction with Mexico and Canada, it has only heightened concerns about the level of cooperation between the three World Cup co-hosts on issues such as tournament security.
Infantino might argue that, given the unpredictability of some of Trump’s statements, maintaining a close relationship with him is even more crucial.
But others would say it also risks hampering his ability to stand up to the U.S. president.
