Donald Trump claims World Cup ticket sales have ‘broken all records’

US President Donald Trump has praised FIFA president Gianni Infantino ahead of Friday's 2026 World Cup draw in Washington, amid criticism over their close association.

Infantino has faced recent criticism, accused by some of drawing uncomfortably close to Trump, whose administration plays a high-profile role in US preparations for the biggest and most logistically-challenging World Cup ever.

The soccer boss attended Trump's inauguration in January and has previously said the US leader deserved global recognition for his role in brokering a ceasefire in the Middle East.

FIFA plans to unveil its own peace prize during the draw ceremony, with Trump the expected recipient.

Spotting Infantino in the audience during a Washington ceremony marking a peace treaty between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo, Trump congratulated him for what he described as record-breaking ticket demand for the first 48-team World Cup, co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico.

"Gianni, thank you very much," Trump said. "You’ve done a fantastic job, a great leader in sports and a great gentleman."

Teams will learn their group-stage fate later on Friday at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, in a draw for a tournament spanning three countries and 16 cities, from Vancouver to Mexico City.

Trump claimed sales for the global tournament were selling at a pace never seen before.

"I can report to you that we have sold more tickets than any country anywhere in the world at this stage of the game," he said, adding that demand had already "broken all records".

Over one million tickets have been purchased so far by fans from 212 countries, FIFA said last month.

After the presidential shout-out, Infantino did not speak publicly. The FIFA president is overseeing his third men’s World Cup, after Russia in 2018 and Qatar in 2022.