Gianni Infantino picks Donald Trump! FIFA Council meeting rescheduled due to president's meet-up with United States leader's trip to Qatar & Saudi Arabia

A previously scheduled FIFA Council meeting, initially planned to take place in person in Paraguay on Tuesday, May 13, will now be conducted virtually on Friday, as revealed by The Athletic.

President Trump’s Middle East tour will feature several key engagements, including high-level meetings with leadership figures from Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. A major event during the visit will be the Saudi-U.S. investment forum, bringing together prominent figures from government and business on both sides. Attendees and speakers at the forum are expected to include major U.S. financial executives such as Larry Fink, CEO of BlackRock, and Citigroup's Jane Fraser.

Notably, the last two FIFA Council meetings - in December 2024 and March 2025 - were also held online, with Infantino dialling in from the organisation’s Zurich headquarters. Despite the change to the Council meeting, the 75th FIFA Congress remains scheduled to take place as planned on Thursday, May 15, in Asuncion, Paraguay’s capital city. The event will convene key stakeholders in world football to discuss future planning, governance, and preparations for upcoming tournaments, including the 2026 World Cup.

Earlier this week, Trump reaffirmed his administration’s renewed commitment to the tournament by announcing leadership appointments within the U.S. World Cup organizational structure. Andrew Giuliani has been named as the executive director of the World Cup task force. Meanwhile, former U.S. Soccer Federation president Carlos Cordeiro has been appointed as a senior advisor for the event.

Infantino’s participation in the U.S. President’s trip highlights the growing intersection of football diplomacy and international politics. The United States, Mexico, and Canada won the bid in 2018 during Trump’s first presidential term, with the U.S. securing the bulk of the hosting rights - 75 per cent of the matches, including the final on July 19 at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.