Trump wanted to star at the World Cup, but politics may spoil the party

This had led critics to argue that Infantino sees himself as a geopolitical figure as much as a footballing one. His closeness to leaders like Trump and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman reflects an era when multibillionaire owners and Middle Eastern wealth funds own many top clubs as strongmen and oligarchs dominate political and corporate life.

Still, great sporting events usually defy attempts by politicians keen to hijack them. World Cups are defined by moments of footballing panache, like the bamboozling turn by Dutch legend Johan Cruyff at the 1974 finals or Paolo Rossi’s goal-scoring rout that led Italy to the title in 1982.

Controversies that are remembered are usually on the pitch — like Argentine Diego Maradona’s infamous “hand of God” handball goal in the 1986 quarter-final against England, or Zinedine Zidane’s stunning head butt that helped consign France to defeat to Italy in the 2006 final.

Some time over the next month, a second of brilliance or a rush of blood will underscore why World Cups, even in their corporatized and politicized modern renderings, make the world stand still.

The quintessentially political Infantino understands this better than anyone. At the World Economic Forum in Davos this year, he noted that in Qatar, the political furor faded once the football kicked off.

“When the ball started rolling, and the magic started, we had virtually no incidents,” he said.

This story has been updated with new reporting.