Fifa silent after US attack on Venezuela raises World Cup 2026 questions

When the United States military attacked Venezuela on Saturday, there was reportedly no immediate response from the Fifa Council, Independent.co reports.

The attack came after comments from President Donald Trump about Mexico’s president being “very frightened of the cartels” and that “something is going to have to be done with Mexico.” Fifa had presented Trump with an inaugural peace prize a month earlier, and the organisation was warned after Mr Trump said three days before that award that military strikes on Venezuela would “start very soon.” The source adds that the strikes made seven countries targeted by the administration in his first year back in office. Human rights group FairSquare criticised the relationship between Trump and Fifa, saying “Aggression is the supreme international crime,” and arguing that Trump appears to expect Infantino’s support while Fifa benefits financially.

Observers quoted in the source say Fifa lacks clear guidelines to address a host nation that has launched an act of aggression and appears unequipped to manage such geopolitical risks. The piece notes this would be only the third comparable case involving a prospective World Cup host (after the US invasion of Panama in 1989 and Russia’s 2014 invasion of Ukraine) and that, despite criticism, Infantino has already praised Trump, the prize was awarded, and the tournament plans continue.

Key Topics

World, Donald Trump, Gianni Infantino, Venezuela, Fairsquare