Trump proposes World Cup as incentive to end Russia-Ukraine war but caught off guard by basic question

US President Donald Trump has made a bizarre claim that the football World Cup in 2026 could help end Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and shut down the war. The Russian national football team has been banned from international competition by Fifa and Uefa since the country's invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

Trump campaigned on ending the war in Ukraine on "day one" of office if he was elected for a second time in November 2024.

Trump caught off guard again

On Tuesday, Trump appeared unaware that Russia has been banned from competing in the 2026 FIFA World Cup — despite the soccer tournament being hosted in the United States, Canada and Mexico. During a meeting of the World Cup task force at the White House, a reporter asked the president for his stance on the ban, which was part of global sporting sanctions imposed on Russia following its 2022 invasion of Ukraine.


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Trump was questioned about the possible participation of Russia at next year's World Cup. Speaking alongside FIFA president Gianni Infantino at the first meeting of his World Cup taskforce, Trump admitted he was unaware that Russia are banned from the tournament.

"I didn't know that, is that right?," Trump said, turning towards Infantino, adding "He is the boss, I am not the boss on that."


"That is right," Infantino replied. "They are banned for the time being from playing but we hope that something happens and peace will happen so that Russia can be readmitted."

Trump on Russia-Ukraine war

The United States are hosting the World Cup next year along with Canada and Mexico but Russia are currently banned by both FIFA and UEFA from participating in international competitions due to their invasion of Ukraine.

Trump has now said that reinstating Russia for the tournament could help end the war in Ukraine, feeling that it ‘could be a good incentive’ for Putin.

Trump said: "That's possible. Hey, that could be a good incentive, right?"

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"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, the Russian soldiers and Ukrainian soldiers mostly.

"Horrible things going on over there, we are going to get that war stopped."

Trump, during his 2024 campaign, vowed to end the Russia-Ukraine war on the first day back in office. But his efforts to broker a deal between the countries have so far stuttered.

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During the same meeting, Vice President JD Vance joked about deporting fans who will visit America to support their national teams during the tournament.

“We’ll have visitors from close to 100 countries. We want them to come, we want them to celebrate, we want them to watch the game,” Vance said. “But when the time is up, they’ll have to go home, otherwise they’ll have to talk to [Homeland Security] Secretary Noem.”