FIFA's $4m Trump Tower office sits largely empty

Despite internal concerns over unclear business need,

FIFA chief close to Trump drove the lease deal

US President Donald Trump (right) and FIFA President Gianni Infantino hold up the FIFA World Cup trophy before presenting it to Spain captain Rodri (No. 16) at the award ceremony following the 2026 FIFA World Cup final between Spain and Argentina at New York New Jersey Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, last August. [Getty Images]

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FIFA leased an office in Trump Tower in New York at great expense last year, but the space has sat largely vacant, The New York Times reported Monday (local time).

According to people familiar with the contract and related documents, FIFA signed a long-term lease of more than seven years for office space on the 17th floor of Trump Tower, which is owned by the family of President Donald Trump. The deal is worth about $4 million. At the time, Eric Trump, the president's second son, expressed satisfaction, calling it an "honor" that FIFA had chosen to open an office in Trump Tower.

FIFA officials, however, said the Trump Tower office is rarely used. Most of the organization's US operations are handled out of two offices in Miami, and there are no plans to station permanent staff at the Trump Tower location.

Concerns about opening the New York office were raised internally at FIFA ahead of the lease signing last year. Officials warned that establishing a separate office in New York, apart from Miami, could expose the organization to additional tax liabilities.

FIFA sought legal advice on how to ensure that no business or commercial activity takes place at the Trump Tower office in order to avoid those tax obligations.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino watches a FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup group stage match between Poland and Argentina in Katowice, Poland, last month. [Getty Images]

The Trump Tower office was opened at the initiative of FIFA President Gianni Infantino, who cultivated a close relationship with President Trump ahead of the 2026 World Cup.

Last year, Infantino created and awarded a special peace prize to Trump, a move critics said exploited FIFA's institutional prestige to spare the president embarrassment over his failure to win the Nobel Peace Prize. During this year's North and Central America World Cup, US striker Folarin Balogun had his suspension lifted after Trump said he personally called Infantino to ask him to look into the matter — Balogun had been ineligible to play due to accumulated red cards before the intervention. The Trump Tower lease has drawn similar criticism, with detractors arguing that FIFA wasted $4 million on an office it has no operational need for simply to curry favor with the president.

FIFA pushed back, saying the New York office is used for meetings with senior figures and football officials as well as special events. "New York is a global city and FIFA is a global organization, so having a base in New York is logical," the organization said.

yckim6452@heraldcorp.com