Why was FIFA president at the Gaza peace summit?
Gianni Infantino, president of FIFA, stood prominently alongside US President Donald Trump at the Gaza peace summit in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, on Monday, surprising many observers with his presence at the high-profile diplomatic event.
While Infantino is not a political figure, he has increasingly involved himself in matters surrounding the 'Israel'-Hamas conflict, cultivating a close relationship with Trump and showing consistent support for 'Israel'.
Infantino’s attendance did not go unnoticed on social media, where many questioned why the head of a global sporting body would involve himself in a high-stakes political summit.
Okay I'm going to need someone to explain to me why Gianni Infantino, the head of FIFA, is at the Gaza ceasefire summit in Sharm pic.twitter.com/vXVsoqFP3D
— Gregg Carlstrom (@glcarlstrom) October 13, 2025
Last week, ahead of two World Cup qualifiers for 'Israel', Infantino called for football to play a role in supporting peace efforts in the Middle East. “Now there is a ceasefire, everyone should be happy about that. Everyone should support that process,” Infantino told reporters at the European Football Clubs General Assembly in Rome. “Those who have responsibilities to broker and to do these steps, they have done that, and now everyone else should support it. It goes beyond football, but it includes football as well.”
Infantino also praised Trump’s role in securing the US-brokered ceasefire that began last Friday and led to the release of the 20 remaining 'Israeli' captives today.
On Instagram, Infantino congratulated Trump, the United States, Qatar, Egypt, and Türkiye for their collaboration in achieving the ceasefire, calling it “great news” and a source of “new hope for all.”
He even suggested that Trump should be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his decisive actions in halting the war in Gaza. “Unity was indeed a key theme of discussions at the European Football Clubs General Assembly,” Infantino said, “and although it is not directly related to football, I had to open my remarks by stating how pleased I was to hear the news about these encouraging developments in the Middle East.”
The summit in Sharm El-Sheikh aimed to end the Gaza conflict and reinforce regional peace and security, according to an official statement from the Egyptian presidency.
