US summit: Felix Lasarte hails Claudio Tapia before World Cup 2026 | OneFootball

The president of the AFA, Claudio Tapia, held high-level meetings in the capital of the United States, as well as in Palm Beach, Florida, reaffirming the global interest in Argentine football and consolidating the association as one of the most relevant in the world stage.

Among the meetings he attended, one took place at Mar-a-Lago with Felix Lasarte, advisor to the President’s Intelligence Committee, where an invitation was extended for the AFA’s top official to meet with Trump at the White House ahead of the 2026 World Cup.

Hours after the meeting with the head of Argentine football, Lasarte himself dedicated some heartfelt words on his official Instagram account, where he revealed some “details” of the meeting they had at the famous and luxurious property in Palm Beach.

  See this post on Instagram   A post shared by Lasarte Law (@felixlasarte)

“Honored to share a memorable evening at dinner with Claudio ‘Chiqui’ Tapia, president of the Argentine Football Association. Amid lively discussions about the beautiful game, we celebrated the bold investments by AFA that are transforming football landscapes across the United States, from youth academies to world-class events,” he wrote.

In another passage, the presidential advisor also emphasized: “And let’s not forget Mr. Tapia’s genuine admiration for President Trump—as he put it, ‘A leader who knows how to score big victories!’”

In addition to Lasarte, Tapia held meetings with Laura Ortiz Rodriguez, Senior Communications Advisor to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Maria Pia Tamburri, the highest-ranking Argentine to have served in the U.S. Government and former spokesperson for President George W. Bush, Emirati businessman Tajeddine Seif, and Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava and Commissioner Oliver Gilbert, important partners as Miami continues to emerge as a global events hub.

But the political twist is that this visit took place after Javier Milei decided not to travel, causing diplomatic friction. The United States had expected his presence to reinforce the bilateral alignment built over recent months, within the framework of the economic rescue that was key to the continuity of Argentina’s financial program.

On his agenda, the AFA president held meetings with U.S. officials involved in World Cup organization and the development of global sports policies. The presence of the Argentine leader helped maintain the institutional bridge at a time when the White House was expecting clear signals of continuity in the relationship between the nations.

During the meeting, strategic issues regarding logistics, infrastructure, and coordination between the countries were discussed. For the American organizers, Argentina’s presence was indispensable, as the country remains a key player within the FIFA ecosystem and a valuable partner for global events.

The scenario gained a political layer because, at the same time, the national government had been intensifying its criticism of AFA’s leadership. Officials and journalists aligned with the ruling party even questioned figures like Lionel Messi for appearing close to Tapia, suggesting they should keep their distance. The strongest comment came from Patricia Bullrich, who publicly called for the Argentine captain “to step aside”.

The AFA president also took advantage of the meeting to exchange information with officials involved in the strategic planning of the World Cup. In the corridors of Mar-a-Lago, his presence was seen as a reaffirmation of the global weight of Argentine football.

Guillermo Tofoni to be sued in the United States for damage to the AFA’s image

Behind the scenes at Mar-a-Lago, it became known that in the coming hours there would be bad news for businessman Guillermo Tofoni, who improperly used the AFA brand for organizing friendly matches.

According to some sources consulted, Tofoni is expected to be sued in the United States with the support of international football organizations, and political backing, for the damage caused to the image of the AFA and its leaders by his false accusations.

The complaint against Tofoni will be filed by Regalado with FIFA’s endorsement for the disrepute caused by his false allegations against the AFA in a lawsuit he lost in Argentina, the contractual jurisdiction country.

It is worth recalling that in September 2023, federal judge Julián Ercolini acquitted Tapia in the case initiated by Tofoni, who claimed in his lawsuit that his company, World Eleven, was harmed by the AFA for an alleged breach of contract that gave the businessman the authority to organize friendly matches for the Argentine national team. Later, the Criminal Appeals Chamber overturned the injunction requested by Tofoni and upheld the first-instance ruling.

Furthermore, at the end of the same year, Commercial Court No. 8 accepted the injunction requested by the Argentine Football Association (AFA) and prohibited Tofoni from conducting business with the AFA brand without authorization.

In that ruling, the court required him and his company to “remove from their website, platform, social media, and/or any other medium all references; logos, brand names, distinctive signs related to and/or owned by the AFA.”

The AFA accused the businessman of “fraudulently and improperly using the name, image, trademarks, and reputation exclusively owned by the AFA, without authorization and presenting himself as the exclusive agent for international matches,” seeking to obtain benefits for his company without the consent or assignment from the Viamonte entity.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here.