Donald Trump suggests allowing Russia's partcipation in 2026 FIFA World Cup could be 'incentive' to end war

US President Donald Trump has suggested that allowing Russia to participate in the 2026 FIFA World Cup could serve as an incentive for the country to end the ongoing war in Ukraine. Russia has been banned from international football competitions, including FIFA and UEFA tournaments, since its invasion of Ukraine in 2022.During a meeting with FIFA President Gianni Infantino at the first session of the 2026 World Cup taskforce, Trump expressed his surprise that Russia is currently excluded from the tournament, which will be co-hosted by the US, Canada, and Mexico next summer."I didn’t know that. Is that right?" Trump asked Infantino, who confirmed Russia's ban. Infantino added, "They are banned for the time being, but we hope that something happens and peace will happen so that Russia can be readmitted."Trump, reflecting on the situation, proposed that reinstating Russia’s participation could act as a motivator to end the war. "That’s possible. Hey, that could be a good incentive, right?" he said. He emphasized the urgency of ending the conflict, adding, "We want to get them to stop. Five thousand young people a week are being killed, it’s not even believable."Though Trump appeared to support the idea, he clarified that decisions on Russia’s participation were not his to make, deferring to Infantino as "the boss" on such matters.Russia’s national team is currently excluded from the qualification process for the 2026 World Cup, which began in September 2023. While Russia remains banned from official FIFA and UEFA competitions, the country’s team has continued to play friendly matches outside of these organizations.In earlier comments, FIFA President Gianni Infantino expressed hope that Russia might be reintegrated into international football if peace were to be achieved in Ukraine. "As talks are going on for peace in Ukraine, I hope we can soon move to the next stage and bring back Russia in the football landscape, because this would mean everything is solved," Infantino said in March 2023.In the same meeting, US Vice President JD Vance discussed preparations for the 2026 World Cup, which is expected to attract fans from nearly 100 countries. Vance welcomed the influx of visitors but emphasized that once the tournament concludes, "they’ll have to go home," citing strict US immigration policies.The US will host 78 of the tournament’s 104 matches, including the final. The Department of Homeland Security has already begun processing travel documents and visa applications for the event, which is expected to draw about two million international visitors.