Overview
- Following the 2026 World Cup draw in Washington, Claudio “Chiqui” Tapia traveled to Florida to take part in a tribute to Charlie Kirk at President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club.
- Tapia posted photos on X calling the event an honor and publicly thanked Félix Lasarte, identified in reports as an adviser to the U.S. president’s Intelligence Commission.
- Los Andes and El Día report that a dinner conversation with Lasarte led to an invitation for Tapia to meet President Trump at the White House before the tournament, a development that remains unconfirmed.
- The visit coincided with escalating criticism of AFA leadership by the Milei administration, days after the Argentine president canceled his planned trip to the United States for the World Cup draw.
- Recent AFA moves—including recognizing Rosario Central with a new title and penalizing Estudiantes de La Plata over a recognition gesture—have intensified the political dispute that frames Tapia’s outreach.