EDDIE PELLS
It has never been unusual for the host nation's leader to appear at one of the most important moments in the build-up to the World Cup. A drawing ceremony during which the groups into which different teams fall are determined.
What stood out about President Donald Trump's appearance this month was the FIFA Peace Award he received. The newly created award by the sport's governing body, to no one's surprise, went to a president who was aiming for a much more prestigious award: the Nobel Peace Prize.
Trump's presence at the international soccer spectacle truly reflected a cycle that has accelerated in 2025: The president of the United States, with the help of some of his country's politicians and many sports leaders, has taken unprecedented steps to adapt the sport to his own vision of the world.
“I think sports are a prime example of Trump's belief that he is in charge,” said David Niven, who teaches a course on sports and politics at the University of Cincinnati.
While the Trump administration's policies on immigration, transgender issues and other issues are having consequences in many areas, much of the attention has shifted to the sports people play and watch in 2025.
Next year's FIFA World Cup and the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028 – sporting events demonstrating their ability to unite the world – will be scrutinized to see whether they achieve that goal in a country that has become less hospitable.
One such example is an executive order Trump signed shortly after taking office aimed at reducing opportunities for transgender athletes.
In another development, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has stepped up its efforts, leading to more than 605,000 deportations since Trump's first day in office, according to the administration.
“The fans, whenever there's a big football event, they'll come out and support their team,” said Louis Moore, a Michigan State University professor who teaches about sports in the community. He expressed suspicions that ICE would be present at some venues and said: “I just hope FIFA has the courage to organize something that will protect the players and fans.”
It remains to be seen whether ICE will appear at World Cup games. But the White House is sending mixed messages that could impact athletes and fans coming to the United States for these international sporting events.
On the one hand, the administration promoted the creation of the “FIFA Pass,” designed to allow ticket holders to get expedited visa appointments. On the other hand, he recently announced expanded travel bans and immigration restrictions, some of which are aimed at countries participating in the World Cup, in response to a gun attack on two National Guard members that occurred in Washington last month.
Trump's transgender sports policy leaked to NCAA and Olympics
The debate over transgender athletes became a key cultural issue that helped Trump win last year's election.
Early in his term, Trump signed an executive order, “Keep Men Out of Women's Sports,” which gives various agencies the power to ensure that schools receiving federal funds comply with the administration's interpretation of Title IX, which interprets “sex” as the sex a person is assigned at birth.
The day after Trump signed his executive order, the NCAA amended its rules to comply with the administration's guidance.
“President Trump’s order provides clear national standards,” said NCAA President Charlie Baker, a former governor of Massachusetts.
A few months later, the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC) quietly changed its policy to align with Trump's. Olympic legal expert Jill Pilgrim said the move was supported by “very well-reasoned arguments.”
“But I would be very surprised if it wasn’t challenged” in court, Pilgrim admitted.
Sports leaders seek Trump's favor
Meanwhile, key leaders struggled to maintain good relations with Trump.
While some believe it violated FIFA's own requirements for political neutrality, the soccer body's peace prize gave its president Gianni Infantino cause to praise Trump for making life easy for the sport or incredibly uncomfortable when it comes to the United States next year.
While football brought Trump the trophy, US Olympic leaders used a White House ceremony this summer to present him with a set of medals from the 1984 Olympics, the last time they were held in Los Angeles.
It was part of an event attended by 2028 and US Olympic Committee chiefs Casey Wasserman and Gene Sykes. During the event, Trump signed a decree creating an Olympic “working group.”
While the task force is tasked with overseeing functions that the government typically performs for the Olympics anyway, such as security and visa processing, it gave Trump an opportunity to take charge when he brought Wasserman and Sykes to the White House to thank him.
That led to some awkwardness when Trump asked for a quiet room to applaud after thanking Sykes for the Olympic Committee's decisions on transgender policy.
“Some of these moments almost reach the point of parody,” said Niven, the Cincinnati professor. “It’s just brilliant things that are in front of him at any given moment.”
Golf has endeared himself to Trump
Also this summer, Trump was a special guest of the PGA at one of its biggest events, the Ryder Cup, a Europe vs. America golf tournament held outside New York.
The invitation comes about three years after the PGA withdrew the 2022 PGA Championship from one of Trump's golf courses, believing that holding it there would be “harmful to the brand” following a congressional violation on Jan. 6, 2021.
In addition to breaking with the PGA, Trump has backed LIV Golf, a Saudi-backed league that has caused a rift in the sport after offering nine-figure salaries to attract many of its top players. In early 2025, Trump held a meeting at the White House to try to broker peace.
Although nothing came of this meeting, both it and his appearance in the Ryder Cup marked his symbolic reconciliation with the sport that mattered most to him.
If there was any lingering dissatisfaction among the players during Rider's emotionally charged week, it was subtle: They did their best to feel honored by Trump's presence while avoiding getting too close to politics.
Trump is involved in college sports, but his influence will be limited
College sports is an area that tests the limits of Trump's influence, although that hasn't stopped him from trying.
The “Save College Sports” executive order Trump signed in July was a sweeping document that, among other things, directed labor officials to clarify whether athletes at schools could be considered employees.
For the NCAA, the answer is a resounding “no.” The college sports governing body is also seeking antitrust protection to avoid prosecution.
Ultimately, Congress has the power to decide both issues. But Republicans and Democrats see very different ways to address the growing industry. Neither party has passed significant legislation on this issue.
“This is one of the most difficult problems, and there is no easy solution,” Niven said of the university puzzle. “That doesn’t really describe the strength of Congress in its contributions.”
All this could provide an opportunity for Trump, who has not intervened much since the executive order, to try again in 2026.
“Something needs to be done, and I am ready to support it from the federal government,” he said in December. “But if you don’t do this, you will destroy universities. They will be eliminated, including those who excel in football.”
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AP Sports: https://apnews.com/hub/deportes
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