World soccer governing body FIFA has deepened its ties with Donald Trump after opening a New York office in the US president’s Trump Tower.
The move comes as the country gears up to host next year’s FIFA World Cup alongside Mexico and Canada, with President Trump naming himself the chairman of a White House task force for the showpiece tournament.
The announcement was made during an event at Trump Tower, launching a five-day exhibition of the ongoing Club World Cup trophy in the building’s lobby as the tournament reaches its final stage in the US.
At the event, FIFA president Gianni Infantino said: “FIFA [is] a global organization [and] to be global, you have to be local, you have to be everywhere, so we have to be in New York.
“Not just for the FIFA Club World Cup this year and FIFA World Cup next year - we have to be in New York as well, when it comes to where our offices are based.”
The move makes FIFA a tenant of the company owned by the US president.
The governing body has not specified the rent rate it is being charged, or which departments will be housed in Trump Tower.
FIFA already has a presence in the country via an office in Miami, Florida, which houses its legal division and staff responsible for staging the Club World Cup and next year’s World Cup.
It also has a significant presence in Toronto, Canada, housing staff who are working on next year’s tournament.
Infantino has spent the last year cozying up to President Trump, making several visits to the White House and the president’s Florida base, Mar-a-Lago, as well as skipping part of FIFA’s annual congress in May to accompany Trump on a tour of the Gulf.
Infantino’s move angered FIFA delegates present at the congress in Paraguay, prompting a walkout in protest. European governing body UEFA later accused Infantino of putting his “political interests” ahead of his responsibilities as FIFA president.
At the time, Infantino apologized for his lateness to the meeting, stating: “As president of FIFA, my responsibility is to make decisions in the interests of the organization. I felt that I needed to be there to represent football and all of you.”
