Trump Shows Friendly Ties with Putin and Sparks Speculation on Russian Leader’s Possible Attendance at the World Cup
Former U.S.
President Donald Trump has once again captured public attention by publicly displaying a friendly interaction with Russian leader Vladimir Putin, fueling speculation about the Russian dictator’s potential personal visit to the upcoming FIFA World Cup.
During a press conference at the White House, Trump announced that the draw for the highly anticipated 2026 World Cup would take place in December at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.
Simultaneously, he shared a joint photo with Putin taken during their meeting in Anchorage, expressing hope that the Russian leader might attend the tournament scheduled to be held in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
According to Trump, the photo was sent to him directly by Putin, which added weight to his statements.
“Just received a photo from someone who really wants to be there,” he said, hinting at the World Cup.
He emphasized that Putin respects him and the United States but has a different attitude toward others.
Trump also mentioned his intention to sign and send the photo to Putin, while not ruling out a personal meeting during the event.
“He might come, or he might not — it all depends on how things unfold.
We have many events planned over the next few weeks, and I thought this was a very good photo.
Mine is okay, but his is really good.
So, it was a very pleasant moment,” Trump commented.
When asked whether he might do nothing if Putin refuses to sit at the negotiation table, Trump replied: “We’ll see.
It depends on who is to blame.” It is worth recalling that since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in early 2022, all Russian national teams and clubs have been barred from participating in FIFA and UEFA tournaments.
This decision came amid Russia’s aggressive actions, which led to bans from the World Cup, European Championships, UEFA Champions League, Europa League, and Conference League, among others.
Additionally, Russia lost the right to host any international football competitions on its territory under these organizations.
Currently, the Russian team is playing friendly matches against teams from Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Iran, Iraq, Cameroon, Cuba, and Serbia, but they are not involved in major international tournaments.
The question arises: will Trump’s return to the U.S.
presidency help Russian football teams re-enter the international arena? Russian officials are actively engaging with UEFA leadership to negotiate their teams’ reintegration into international competitions.
However, most experts believe that Russia’s return to global football is still a distant prospect, requiring significant diplomatic efforts and broader political changes.