FIFA could ask Trump to pause ICE raids during the World Cup – according to reports

FIFA’s leadership discussed the possibility of its president, Gianni Infantino, asking US President Donald Trump to pause ICE raids during this summer’s World Cup in North America, according to a report by The Athletics.

Infantino was open to the idea and planned to make a “president-to-president” request to Trump to reduce ICE’s role around the World Cup, the report said. It has not yet been reported whether Infantino formally made the request and how Trump and the US government would respond.

During Trump’s second term, ICE has attacked multiple U.S. cities in an effort to deliver on the president’s message of mass deportation that he campaigned on ahead of the 2024 election. In addition to deportations, these raids have led to conflict with protesters, including the killings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti in Minneapolis earlier this year.

Acting ICE (US Immigrations and Customs Enforcement) Director Todd Lyons previously said agents would be involved in security at matches for this summer’s event, the largest World Cup in FIFA history with 48 teams.

Members of Congress have raised concerns about ICE’s presence around the World Cup, which instead led to raids by immigration enforcement officers. Los Angeles workers at SoFi Stadium – where the US team will play two of its three group stage matches – threatened to strike last week over similar concerns.

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According to the report, a number of FIFA member federations, especially in Europe, have raised concerns about the presence of ICE agents around the event.

FIFA originally believed that limiting ICE activity in the eleven U.S. cities where matches will take place would be sufficient. However, with travel expanding well beyond these locations, with teams setting up base camps across the country in cities where matches will not take place, FIFA is now seeking a total suspension of all ICE raids for the entirety of the World Cup, which will be held from June 11 to July 19.

Trump and Infantino have built a relationship that could bear fruit if the request is honored. FIFA has an office in Trump Tower in New York and the organization presented the president with the first FIFA Peace Prize during the World Cup draw in December.

Published on April 14, 2026