FIFA President Falls All Over Himself to Praise Trump: Touch the Trophy Because ‘You Are a Winner’
FIFA President Gianni Infantino joined President Donald Trump in the Oval Office on Friday to announce when the draw of the upcoming World Cup would take place and fell all over himself while offering effusive praise of Trump.
Trump began, saying he wanted to “ask Gianni to say a few words.”
“He’s the head of the whole thing. He has been there for a long time. Probably the most respected man in sports. He is amazing, actually. Works very hard. And he has got the biggest event in the world coming right here to the United States. And a little – we did a little for Canada, we do a little from Mexico. We thought, see, I am a good citizen. I said, ‘Let them have a little piece.’ So we gave a little to Canada to see how nice I am. And we gave a little bit to Mexico,” Trump quipped.
“Gianni, please, say a few words,” the president said, as Infantino began, “Thank you. Thank you, thank you, president. Great honor for me to be here with you today, president, vice president, excellencies.”
“Fantastic to announce what you said, which is the final draw of the FIFA World Cup on the 5th of December here in the Capitol. In the Kennedy Center in Washington. There’s a 12 noon sharp. It will be broadcast live all over the world. One billion viewers will watch it. And it will determine, of course, the match schedule – the match schedule which 48 participating teams will play. You said it: 104 matches in one month, 104 Super Bowls,” Infantino continued, adding:
It’s not just the biggest, the greatest event. Not just a sports event, it’s a social event as well with a lot of emotion. We are uniting the world, Mr. President, uniting the world here in America and we are very proud of that. And those teams, those national teams who will come here to participate in this draw with their coaches or their presidents, they will all be proud to be part of writing this history.
And that’s why we brought as well this, which is the winner’s trophy. It is the trophy that the winner of the FIFA World Cup wins. Only the FIFA president, presidents of countries, and then those who win can touch it because it’s for winners only.
“And since you are a winner, of course, you can as well touch it. It’s pretty – it’s the winner’s trophy. The last one who lifted there is Leo Messi. Lionel Messi of Argentina, and here it is in the Oval Office in the White House,” Infantino said, offering the trophy to Trump.
“Can I keep it?” joked the president as the room laughed.
“We’re not giving it back. That’s a serious–’ Trump continued over chatter. “It goes very well on the wall right over there, put it right below the angel.”
“It fits well here. Until we have to give it to the next winner,” Infantino added.
“That’s fine. That’s a beautiful piece of gold, I will say. That is beautiful,” Trump said.
Watch the clip above via Fox News.
