FIFA President Gianni Infantino took the stage on Monday at the “Peace 2025” event in Egypt, making a notable appearance there.

“We have Gianni,” President Trump said during the Middle East peace ceremony in the coastal resort area of Sharm el-Sheikh. “We’re going to the World Cup, I can tell you that.”

Scheduled for 2026, the FIFA World Cup will expand to include 48 teams competing in 104 games, with events spread across 16 cities in North America. Among these host cities are Los Angeles, Seattle, Mexico City, Toronto, and Atlanta. In a recent development, former President Trump announced that the draw for the 2028 World Cup will take place at the Kennedy Center this December.

In March, Trump initiated a task force dedicated to the 2026 World Cup through an executive order. He emphasized the event as a prime opportunity to “showcase the Nation’s pride and hospitality while driving economic growth and tourism through sport.”

In a Monday post on Instagram, Infantino stated that he “attended the extremely important Summit for Peace in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt co-chaired by United States President Donald J. Trump and Egypt President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi aimed at establishing a new era of regional security and stability.” He also stated that Trump had invited him.

Infantino expressed his appreciation for the collaborative spirit of world leaders, United Nations delegates, and others at the summit. “I firmly believe in the power of unity to build bridges and am deeply thankful for everyone’s support for peace. Special thanks to @potus for inviting me to this significant gathering,” he remarked.

Last week, Infantino urged giving Trump’s Gaza peace plan a chance, as some feared Israel’s World Cup qualifying match against Italy on Tuesday would be overshadowed by protests, The Athletic reported. Security at Tuesday’s match is expected to be tight.

Earlier this month, pro-Palestinian protesters approached the gates of the Italian soccer team’s training center, demanding that the qualifier against Israel not be played due to the war in Gaza, the Associated Press reported.

On Friday, around 1,000 protesters marched to Ullevaal Stadion in Oslo ahead of Norway’s 5-0 World Cup qualifying win over Israel to protest the war.

FIFA also recently opened an office at Trump Tower in New York, and Trump in August said Russian President Vladimir Putin may go to the 2026 World Cup.