Gianni Infantino, president of the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA), attended the signing ceremony of the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip on Monday, in the Egyptian city of Sharm El-Sheikh.

Four leaders signed a joint statement to end the war in Gaza: US President Donald Trump, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, Qatari Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

Other world leaders also attended the signing ceremony, including German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron, and Jordanian King Abdullah II.

Infantino has previously attended major political events and maintains a close relationship with US President Trump, whose country is preparing to host the 2026 FIFA World Cup along with Mexico and Canada.

He also accompanied FIFA’s president on a visit to the Middle East in 2025 and delivered a speech at the United Nations.

Infantino enjoys close ties in the Middle East, thanks to Qatar hosting the 2022 World Cup and Saudi Arabia winning the rights to host the 2034 World Cup.

Critics say Infantino remains close to countries whose values differ from Western nations, while the FIFA president tries to highlight football’s role in uniting peoples amid the Gaza war.