Roots of the World Cup Visa Crisis... Did Infantino Pay the Price for His Ties with Trump?

As the 2026 World Cup kicks off, it wasn't just football that made the headlines. Before the first round of matches was complete, the tournament found itself at the center of a political and diplomatic controversy regarding visas and immigration, a controversy many see as having roots in years of the close relationship built by FIFA President Gianni Infantino with U.S. President Donald Trump.