FIFA Congress: Infantino, Trump and Saudi Arabia

Although no fundamental decisions are pending at the FIFA Congress, which will be held on Thursday in Asuncion, the capital of Paraguay , the meeting of the members of the world football association will cast a shadow over the future of football.

This is primarily due to FIFA President Gianni Infantino's keenness to court the powerful figures of the upcoming host countries. The next World Cup host will be the USA , under President Donald Trump , in 2026. Furthermore, a further expansion of the World Cup to 64 teams is being discussed.

What decisions will be made at the FIFA Congress?

Looking at the meeting's agenda, the answer is: actually none—at least, none that are really important. Besides annual and financial reports and the approval of the 2025 annual budget, only FIFA committees, such as the Disciplinary and Ethics Committees, will be reappointed. No major surprises or controversies are expected here.

Are there still controversial topics?

Similar to the situation before the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, there is criticism of the human rights situation in the country with regard to the next World Cup host , Saudi Arabia . Human rights organizations such as Human Rights Watch and FairSquare warn of risks for migrant workers on the construction sites for the 2034 FIFA World Cup.

They report numerous deaths due to preventable accidents and criticize the Saudi government for inadequate protection and compensation. Despite planned FIFA standards, concrete measures to prevent and investigate such incidents are currently lacking. Amnesty International also highlights the extreme exploitation of foreign workers.

However, it is unlikely that FIFA members, or even its president, will address this issue in Paraguay. Infantino has consistently rejected criticism of working conditions on World Cup construction sites in the past, even in the case of Qatar, instead emphasizing the improvements and progress achieved as a result of the World Cup being awarded. He even relocated to Qatar at the time. Infantino also maintains close contact with Saudi Arabia's heir to the throne and head of government, Mohammed bin Salman .

What about the upcoming 2026 World Cup in the USA?

The relationship between Infantino and US President Trump, the head of government of the next World Cup host nation, the USA, is also close. The Swiss even speaks of a "close friendship." Infantino has met with Trump ten times since December and was present as a guest at his inauguration .

The USA will host two major FIFA tournaments in a row, with the Club World Cup this summer and the World Cup next summer. The US President will use both events to present himself in the best possible light. However, he and his deputy , JD Vance, are apparently already worried about the large number of foreign guests who will flock to the country. "Everyone is welcome," Vance recently said – but only on the condition that they leave again, according to the Vice President.

It remains to be seen to what extent the Trump administration's strict border policy will deter fans from Europe, Africa, Asia, and South America from traveling to the United States. Recently, there have been alarming examples of German tourists who were first interrogated upon entry and subsequently even detained for some time without reason.

How will border and customs officials in 2026 deal with World Cup fans traveling from Iran to support their team? Or from Latin American countries like El Salvador , Guatemala , and Honduras , which account for most illegal immigrants to the United States ?

FIFA is certainly not interested in an escalation involving numerous rejections or imprisonment of football fans. Whether it will exert pressure on Trump accordingly and succeed in doing so remains uncertain.

Will the World Cup with 64 participants finally take place?

A proposal to further expand the World Cup tournament, which will be held in the USA for the first time with 48 teams instead of 32, has been put forward by the association of Uruguay , one of the 2030 World Cup hosts . The South Americans would like to play with 64 teams. Some other FIFA members see the expansion as an opportunity to include more countries and increase football's global reach.

But there are also critical voices, especially from Europe, Asia, and North America: such a large event is too complex and difficult to organize. Furthermore, too large a field of participants diminishes the sporting value.

Bernd Neuendorf, President of the German Football Association (DFB), took a clear stance against it: "We will not support this proposal because I am deeply convinced that we would be doing the tournament a disservice by doing so," said the 63-year-old. The DFB chief stated that the result would be massive problems for players and leagues.

Nevertheless, the proposal is not off the table. FIFA officially stated: "The idea has been noted, as FIFA has a duty to consider every proposal submitted by one of its Council members."

Gianni Infantino hasn't yet commented. However, the bloated 32-team Club World Cup and the fact that the Women's World Cup was increased to 48 teams at the last FIFA Council meeting give an idea of ​​his position on the matter.