Nato leaders at the summit in Ankara have been advised to avoid mentioning the World Cup to U.S. President Donald Trump, due to concerns that the topic could trigger a negative reaction and potentially impact discussions on alliance matters. The directive comes after the U.S. team's elimination from the tournament by Belgium, which reportedly left President Trump in a "bad mood."
A diplomatic source indicated that leaders agreed not to bring up football "because it’s obvious that Trump is already in a bad mood about it. Everyone just wants to get through this without antagonizing him any more."
This caution reportedly stems from an earlier incident where President Trump personally intervened with Fifa president Gianni Infantino to overturn a red card for U.S. player Folarin Balogun. The red card had threatened to sideline the striker for a critical match against Belgium. Despite the intervention, the U.S. team lost to Belgium 4-1, and jubilant Belgian players later posted footage mocking Trump's signature dance.
Belgium's Prime Minister confirmed that he did not raise the World Cup issue with President Trump during their discussions in Ankara. He stated that while football is a significant topic, "important matters" took precedence, and he acknowledged Trump's reputation for sometimes reacting "irritably" to unfavorable situations.
Despite the efforts to avoid confrontation, President Trump has reportedly continued to express criticism of Nato and has reiterated his interest in annexing Greenland, an autonomous territory belonging to Nato ally Denmark.
In parallel, the alliance is reportedly considering postponing its next summit until 2029. The planned summit in Albania for the following year may also be canceled. These decisions are influenced by the U.S. presidential election cycle and the potential for further confrontations with President Trump, who has frequently been critical of the defensive alliance.