US President Donald Trump has hinted that Russian President Vladimir Putin could attend the FIFA World Cup 2026 in Washington.
Speaking at a press conference on Friday, Trump announced the tournament’s dates and shared a photo of his last meeting with Putin in Alaska. Holding up the picture, he told reporters, “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. He wants to be there very badly.”
The 2026 FIFA World Cup will be hosted jointly by the US, Canada, and Mexico. Russia, however, has been banned from FIFA and UEFA competitions since its invasion of Ukraine in 2022. This ban also prevented the Russian team from playing in the 2022 Qatar World Cup, despite Russia hosting the tournament in 2018.
Defending his remarks, Trump said, “He’s been very respectful of me and my country. We will see… a lot has to happen.”
Reacting to this, one user on X (formerly Twitter) wrote, “Except they still won’t allow Russia to play.” Another said, “This is crazy.”
Trump and Putin last met in Alaska during a discussion on the Ukraine war. While no agreement was reached, Putin later said Trump’s leadership could help repair ties between Washington and Moscow.
When asked what he would do if Putin refused peace talks during the World Cup, Trump replied that he would “wait and see whose fault it is” before making any decisions. He added that in two weeks, he would know whether to impose sanctions on Russia or step back, saying, “It’s your fight.”
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Shivam Verma is a journalist with over three years of experience in digital newsrooms. He currently works at NewsX, having previously worked for Firstpost and DNA India. A postgraduate diploma holder in Integrated Journalism from the Asian College of Journalism, Chennai, Shivam focuses on international affairs, diplomacy, defence, and politics. Beyond the newsroom, he is passionate about football—both playing and watching—and enjoys travelling to explore new places and cuisines.
