US President Donald Trump has proposed inviting Russian leader Vladimir Putin attend the FIFA World Cup 2026 in Washington next year.
During a news conference on Friday to announce the 2026 tournament’s date and drawl Trump displayed a photo of the two leaders from their last summit in Alaska, stating that Putin intends to be there “very badly”
Trump showed their picture to the media and stated, “That’s a man named Vladimir Putin who I believe will be coming depending on what happens. He may be coming and he may not.”
The US, Canada, and Mexico will host the next FIFA World Cup.
Due to its ongoing war in Ukraine, Russia has been barred from all FIFA and Uefa events, including the most recent World Cup in Qatar. Russia was banned despite the fact that it hosted the tournament in 2018.
However, Trump added, “He’s been very respectful of me and my country,” adding that ““We will see… a lot has to happen.”
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Netizens react to Trump’s Putin remark
As Trump hinted at inviting Putin for the FIFA 2026, one X user wrote: “Except they still won’t allow Russia to play.”
However, some Putin critics slammed Trump’s idea, saying: “This is crazy. Crazy crazy.” “Putin kills and traffics kids,” another X user claimed amid the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war.
“He is number one fan of Putin,” a fourth user quipped.
Trump and Putin meeting in Alaska
In a high-stakes session on the situation in Ukraine, Putin and Trump last met on August 15 but left without reaching a definitive agreement.
Putin, however, claimed that Trump’s leadership abilities will aid in repairing US-Russia ties during a visit to a nuclear research facility on Friday.
“With the arrival of President Trump, I think that a light at the end of the tunnel has finally loomed. And now we had a very good, meaningful and frank meeting in Alaska,” the Russian President stated.
When reporters asked if he would do nothing if Putin refused to sit down for peace talks at the World Cup announcement, Trump responded that he would wait and see “whose fault it is” before attempting to reach an agreement for regional peace.
“In about two weeks,” the President said that he will know whether to sanction Russia or to back off and say, “It’s your fight.”
