As i'm sure is the case with many people, I’m loath to listen to anything Donald Trump says.
But this week, his comments shot through the sporting world.
Trump has set the ball in motion to readmit Russia into elite competition, the consequences of which would be catastrophic for sport.
The background to this week’s remarks is that, since 2022, when Russia invaded Ukraine, Russian football teams - both international and club sides - have been suspended by FIFA and UEFA.
In 2023, Russia appealed these suspension but the Court of Arbitration for Sport upheld the ban and so Russian club teams, nor the international side, has not played a competitive game outwith Russia for three years.
Next summer, the World Cup will be hosted by Canada, Mexico and the United States.
Russia, as things stand anyway, will not compete at the World Cup and, given the current situation with Russia and Ukraine, it had seemed there was few signs of this suspension coming to an end any time soon.
Until, that is, Trump opened his mouth.
Gianni Infantino, the FIFA President, was at the White House this week for the Trump administration’s first 2026 World Cup taskforce meeting and the conversation between the pair was as basic as one might imagine.
When Russia’s suspension was mentioned, Trump turned to Infantino and asked:
“I didn't know that. Is that right?”, with Infantino confirming Russia’s suspension, before going on to say: "They are banned for the time being from playing but we hope that something happens and peace will happen so that Russia can be readmitted.”
It was Trump’s next comments which were the most concerning.
“That's possible? Hey, that could be a good incentive (to end the war with Ukraine), right?,” he said
"We want to get them to stop. We want them to stop. Five thousand young people a week are being killed - it's not even believable.”
Trump went onto stress that Infantino was “the boss” and that any decision on readmitting Russia, or not, would be down to FIFA.
But who are we kidding?
Yes, it’s Infantino and FIFA who will make the final call but to suggest for even a second that they’ll not be influenced significantly by Trump is naivety at its most extreme.
The American president and Infantino have developed something of a bromance in recent times.
The Swiss-Italian was at Trump’s inauguration and the pair have met more than a few times over the years.
In itself, that’s not a major issue but what is an issue is Infantino’s obsequious personality when it comes to pallying-up with people in power.
He may not be a politician in the most obvious sense but he’s as near as damn it. He loves the limelight and believes, as is the way with so many people (normally men) of his ilk, that everything that comes into his head is worth saying out loud.
NB: It is not.
In normal circumstances (who am I kidding that FIFA operates with anything like a “normal” mentality), the suggestion of readmitting Russia into football would barely be worth acknowledging, such is its ridiculousness given the war with Ukraine is still raging with such ferocity.
But I can’t be the only one who has little to no faith in Infantino to do the right thing.
The right thing, of course, is to keep Russia out in the cold for as long as the country continues to act as it currently is.
Of course, in the grand scheme of geopolitics, sport, and football specifically, mean very little and few are suggesting that football can have a direct impact on ending any war.
But sport, despite its limitations in truly altering the mindset of Vladimir Putin or any other world leader, must not only do the right thing but also be seen to do the right thing.
The right thing, however insignificant, is to ensure Russia remains on the sidelines.
But Infantino, as we’ve seen time and time again, either doesn’t know what the right thing is, or does’t care.
From awarding the 2018 World Cup to Russia to then naming Qatar as host of the 2022 World Cup - and upending the rest of football in the process given the 2022 event took place in November and December - Infantino has previous when it comes to doing the absolute wrong thing.
So who could have any faith that he won’t do the wrong thing again this time?
What this week has shown, or perhaps reiterated is a better way of putting it, is that when it comes down to it, sport is seen as little more than a pawn in the game of politics.
The decision about when Russia is readmitted into sport will be influenced by politicians far more than anyone who truly has sport in the forefront of their mind.
It’s exactly the same as the way Saudi Arabia, China, Qatar et al has used sport not for the good of sport but for political purposes.
Such is the prevalence of sportswashing these days, the word is now mainstream.
And that’s because it works.
Take Saudi Arabia, which is a country that commits quite astonishing human rights abuses, as well as murders journalists. Saudi Arabia is now if not the most significant player in hosting sporting events then certainly one of the most significant. Indeed, Saudi Arabia is hosting the 2034 World Cup and is a leading candidate to host the 2036 or 2040 Olympic Games.
Sport is, I’m afraid to say, far too far gone to halt sportswashing entirely.
As much as I, and many others, would like to see sportswashing either ended or, at the very least, far less prevalent, it seems that ship has sailed.
Football is, it must be noted, a major culprit when it comes to allowing and even encouraging sportswashing.
And this is why I remain unconvinced that Russia won’t be back playing international football at both club and international level any time soon.
Infantino is someone I wouldn’t trust to hold my jacket never mind trust with the future of sport and if he has Trump in his ear, he’ll almost certainly become little more than a puppet for the American president.
All we can hope, then, is that Trump loses interest in the World Cup and Russia’s involvement and the ban remains, for now at least.
But, unfortunately, given the political weight decisions about Russia hold, I wont hold my breath for this suspension to last too much longer.
