The International Federation of Football Associations (FIFA) rented an office in the Trump Tower skyscraper in New York for over 7 years for approximately 4 million dollars before the 2026 World Cup.
According to the news of the New York Times (NYT), based on two officials directly involved in the agreement and documents examined, the approximately 465 square meter luxury suite, which was opened with a magnificent ceremony on the 17th floor, remains largely empty and idle.
Details of the contract, which were not previously disclosed to the public, caused concern among some senior FIFA executives.
Authorities objected to opening a representative office in New York state, where tax rates are high, in a building affiliated with US President Donald Trump, when there was no clear institutional need.
FIFA's operations in the United States are primarily run through two offices in Miami, and the organization has no plans to staff full-time at the New York address.
It is reported that this step was directly encouraged by FIFA President Gianni Infantino. FIFA received services from an international real estate consultancy company to confirm that the rental price complies with market conditions.
However, the documents show that a warning was made that a new office to be opened in New York could result in additional tax liabilities for the institution.
For this reason, FIFA has recorded through lawyers that no commercial or corporate activities will be carried out in the office in Trump Tower in order to avoid the tax liability in question.
Defending the lease agreement, FIFA management announced that the amount was at market rate, the agreement was prepared in accordance with local laws and went through standard internal approval processes.
Stating that the office is used for meetings with high-level protocols and football managers and special events, the institution stated that the area is mostly used during the annual United Nations General Assembly periods.
FIFA's statement also stated, "New York is a global city and FIFA is a global organization, so it makes sense for FIFA to have a presence there."
Trump's son, Eric Trump, stated during the opening that they were honored to host the global football organization.
Names inside and outside the institution interpret this rental move as a new step in Infantino's effort to establish rapport with the Trump administration.
Speaking to the NYT, FIFA's former director of governance, Miguel Maduro, said renting property linked to the US President could violate the institution's conflict of interest rules.
Maduro said, "This agreement with the Trump Organization creates a clear conflict of interest in light of FIFA's World Cup interests in the United States and its partnership with President Trump's 'Peace Board'."
Within the scope of the initiative, FIFA submitted a proposal to build football fields and a stadium in Gaza in February.
Alex Phillips, who has previously worked in FIFA and other leading football institutions, described the office in Trump Tower as "a completely unnecessary self-serving move".
The close relations between Infantino and Trump also paved the way for the Norwegian Football Federation to file an ethics complaint.
Infantino's steps in favor of the US President were not limited to the rental decision.
Infantino, who created a special peace award for Trump, also lifted the penalty imposed on US National Team's star forward Folarin Balogun during the World Cup, after his phone call with Trump. This decision brought accusations of political interference and bias against the institution.
After the tournament, the pressure on Infantino increased even more.
The FIFA leader was accused of holding secret talks to sell part of future tournaments to a private investment fund run by the brother of Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner.
Following this plan, UEFA, the umbrella organization of European football, threatened to take the issue to the criminal court.
Infantino, on the other hand, describes the criticisms directed at him as an "organized smear campaign".
