Lineker calls FIFA chief ‘Sycophant-ino’ over Trump ties as World Cup opens

Gary Lineker Voices Concerns Over Trump’s Influence on World Cup

Gary Lineker has branded FIFA President Gianni Infantino “Sycophant-ino” and warned that political tensions surrounding the 2026 World Cup make it “the most distinct” tournament he has covered, citing a string of controversies linking the sport’s governing body to President Donald Trump’s administration.

Lineker Takes Aim at Infantino-Trump Relationship

In an interview with Bloomberg’s Mishal Husain published on Wednesday, the former England striker said the relationship between Infantino and Trump was “very peculiar, very odd.” “I think we call him Sycophant-ino now,” Lineker said. He questioned the criteria behind the FIFA Peace Prize, an award invented by Infantino and presented to Trump before the World Cup draw in Washington last December.bloomberg

The prize drew widespread criticism at the time and has since prompted the president of Norway’s Football Association to call for its abolition, arguing it falls outside FIFA’s mandate. Infantino has defended the award, insisting Trump “objectively deserves it.”nytimes

Off-Field Controversies Mount

Lineker’s comments arrive as multiple off-field disputes overshadow the tournament’s opening days. Iran’s national team was forced to relocate its base camp from Arizona to Tijuana, Mexico, after visa uncertainties left 15 officials — including the federation’s president and deputy — without entry to the United States. Players received multiple-entry visas only 10 days before their June 15 opener against New Zealand, and the squad must fly into the U.S. on match days and return to Mexico afterward.espn

Separately, Somali referee Omar Artan, one of FIFA’s 52 appointed match officials, was denied entry after being deemed “inadmissible” by the Department of Homeland Security over unspecified “vetting concerns.” An Iraqi striker was reportedly held for seven hours at a Chicago airport, and Senegalese players were body-searched upon arrival.aljazeera

ICE Presence Stokes Fan Anxiety

The broader question of immigration enforcement at World Cup venues has become a flashpoint. A New York Times report this week noted that while DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin has stated there are “no intentions for large-scale immigration enforcement actions during World Cup events,” trust remains fragile after a year of crackdowns in host cities. A Washington Post–University of Maryland poll found 65 percent of Americans oppose ICE presence in stadiums during matches.nytimes

More than 120 civil society groups issued a joint travel advisory in April warning fans of risks including “arbitrary denial of entry,” “racial profiling,” and “invasive social media screening.” Several host cities, including Los Angeles, Atlanta, and Seattle, have said they will not cooperate with ICE enforcement operations.motherjones

Lineker, whose podcast The Rest Is Football is now airing daily on Netflix from a New York studio alongside co-hosts Alan Shearer and Micah Richards, said he wants to focus on the football but acknowledged he cannot ignore the political backdrop. “This World Cup is unique,” he said on Instagram last week.instagram