The £330 billion reason why Giannis Infantino believes 'boycotting' Donald Trump from FIFA World Cup is bad

 FIFA president Gianni Infantino has laid out a blunt economic argument for why calls to politically boycott Donald Trump in relation to the World Cup make little sense.

Speaking amid renewed debate about football’s relationship with politics, Infantino framed the issue as one of consistency, arguing that sport is often unfairly singled out while far larger economic ties remain untouched.

Gianni Infantino points to £330bn trade reality behind boycott stance

In an interview covered by Sky Sports, Infantino questioned why football is treated differently from diplomacy or commerce when political disagreements arise.

“If I’m not mistaken, the most important commercial partner of the UK is the US. [Around] £330bn a year trade volume. Is anyone proposing that the UK should be stopping doing commerce with the US? I didn’t hear that,” Infantino said.

He added: “The same is for the other countries by the way, Qatar or others in the past. I never hear there should be a boycott from doing business or a boycott from political or diplomatic relationships. Why football?”

Infantino’s argument centres on scale. He suggested that targeting football events while maintaining massive trade relationships is inconsistent and symbolic rather than meaningful.

From his perspective, football becomes an easy target for protest while far larger economic systems continue unchanged.

Why Gianni Infantino defended awarding Trump the FIFA Peace Prize

The same logic shaped Infantino’s controversial comments when he previously addressed FIFA’s decision to award Donald Trump the FIFA Peace Prize.

“If you managed to save lives, to protect your people and other people around the world, you deserve respect,” Infantino stated. “He was instrumental in resolving conflicts and saving lives and saving thousands of lives.”

Those remarks were made in the context of international diplomacy and peace initiatives rather than domestic politics.

Infantino has consistently argued that FIFA should engage with world leaders rather than isolate itself from them.

He believes football’s global influence is better used through inclusion and dialogue.

Whether critics agree or not, his position makes clear that FIFA does not see political boycotts as compatible with how the organisation operates.