U.S. President Donald Trump has proposed that allowing Russia to participate in the 2026 FIFA World Cup could serve as an “incentive” to bring an end to the ongoing war in Ukraine.
Since February 2022, Russia has been banned from all FIFA and UEFA competitions—including the World Cup and European Championships—following its invasion of Ukraine.
The suspension affects both national and club teams and remains in effect until further notice, excluding Russia from all upcoming international tournaments, including the 2026 World Cup.
The suggestion came during Trump’s remarks at the inaugural meeting of his World Cup taskforce, held alongside FIFA President Gianni Infantino. The 2026 tournament will be co-hosted by the U.S., Canada, and Mexico.
When asked about the possibility of Russia participating in the tournament, Trump appeared surprised to learn of the ongoing ban.
“I didn’t know that, is that right?” Trump asked Infantino, before adding, “He is the boss. I’m not the boss on that.”
Infantino confirmed the ban, saying, “They are banned for the time being, but we hope that something happens and peace will come, so that Russia can be readmitted.”
Trump responded: “That’s possible. Hey, that could be a good incentive, right? We want to get them to stop. We want them to stop. Five thousand young people a week are being killed—it’s not even believable. Russian soldiers and Ukrainian soldiers, mostly.”
He added, “Horrible things are going on over there. We are going to get that war stopped.”
Russia is currently not part of the qualification process and remains ineligible to compete in next summer’s tournament.
