FIFA president Gianni Infantino isn’t exactly known for his ability to be forthcoming, and he did himself no favors on Tuesday evening when discussing the highly criticized decision to include hydration breaks in each match of this World Cup.

Infantino has long claimed the decision to introduce hydration breaks was done for player welfare as a means of combating the summer heat in North America. But when it was revealed in March that FIFA planned to allow broadcasters to show advertising during the mandatory mid-half breaks, many were quick to suggest there were ulterior motives at play.

Fox, the English-language World Cup broadcaster in the United States, has decided to take full advantage of the hydration breaks, cutting to full-screen ads during the vast majority of the stoppages in play. As a result, the network stands to rake in at least $250 million in ad revenue from hydration break advertising alone, though some estimates peg Fox’s revenue from the new ad inventory at $500 million or more.

Whatever the figure, these advertisements are incredibly lucrative for broadcasters across the world, many of whom are also taking advantage of the new inventory.

For FIFA, it’s a genie that it might struggle to put back in the bottle. Now that broadcasters have seen how much money can be made from advertising during these stoppages in play, it’ll be hard to convince them to go without. And in the same vein, now that broadcasters know how much money can be made on these ads, they’ll be willing to pay FIFA a higher rights fee for future World Cups.

That’s why it was quite easy to question Infantino’s remarks to reporters on Tuesday, which he asserted that FIFA had no financial interest in implementing the breaks.

“There is no additional revenue for FIFA, as all commercial agreements were signed well in advance,” Infantino said, per The Athletic. “So, this is not a financial issue for us. For us, it is purely a sporting matter.”

That may be true this time around, but FIFA have not sold broadcast rights to the 2030 World Cup in several major markets, including the United States. Hydration breaks are now the expectation, and both broadcasters and FIFA stand to benefit if they continue.

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The United States is serving as one of the host nations for the 2026 FIFA Men’s World Cup alongside Canada and Mexico, a controversial situation in light of U.S. President Donald Trump’s crackdown and harsh treatment of immigrants in his second administration.

Still, FIFA has embraced Trump and the U.S., which also hosted the FIFA Club World Cup in 2025. FIFA President Gianni Infantino made the shocking decision to have Trump be a part of the Trophy presentation for the Cup winners, Chelsea.

It has been rumored that Trump would take part in festivities once again for this summer’s champions. Infantino confirmed as much in an appearance on Fox & Friends on Tuesday.

“We will be together with the president enjoying the final and handing the trophy to the winner, of course, together,” Infantino said.

Will President Trump hand out the World Cup trophy? FIFA President Gianni Infantino clears up the rumors, confirming a joint presentation at the final.

FIFA PRES: “We will be together with the president enjoying the final and handing the trophy to the winner, of course,… pic.twitter.com/MEib0K552M

— FOX & Friends (@foxandfriends) June 23, 2026

Many soccer fans on social media took exception with Trump’s inclusion, especially in light of how his administration’s policies have made things difficult for countries participating in this summer’s World Cup.

“The only thing that seems to matter to the FIFA President is money, money, and more money. FIFA is by far, the most corrupt Federation in the world,” one fan posted on X.

“Bound and determined to ruin everything that’s good. Hateful (crappy) people,” someone else posted.

“Infantino welcoming a man notorious for undermining global decorum to this stage is deeply unsettling. A World Cup deserves better leadership,” another fan posted.

Ironically, there’s a chance that Trump will have to deliver the trophy to Iran, which is stil alive in the World Cup and who he has been invovled in a global conflict with.

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