US President Donald Trump has publicly voiced support for FIFA president Gianni Infantino, warning that the global football body would be committing a “terrible mistake” if it were to remove him from his post.
In a message posted on his Truth Social platform, Trump praised Infantino's stewardship of the sport, crediting him with overseeing what he described as the most successful World Cup in history. "FIFA would be making a terrible mistake if, for any reason, they even considered replacing President Gianni Infantino," Trump wrote. "He is fantastic, having just presided over the most successful World Cup, by four times, ever presented. If he is gone, it will never be as successful or profitable again!"
The intervention comes at a turbulent moment for FIFA, with Infantino's leadership facing significant scrutiny from some of the sport's most powerful regional bodies. UEFA, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and CONCACAF, the governing body overseeing football across North and Central America and the Caribbean, have jointly accused Infantino of engaging in “deception” regarding a controversial commercial proposal.
At the center of the dispute is Infantino's plan to establish FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE), a commercial entity designed to manage the operational and financial dimensions of FIFA's tournaments. The proposal reportedly included intentions to sell approximately 20 percent of the new company to private investors, a move that appears to have alarmed several of football's governing confederations.
Infantino has since apologized for the scheme, though that has not been enough to quell the unrest among the federations. According to reports, UEFA, the AFC and CONCACAF are seeking to distance themselves from the controversy and would prefer to see Infantino step aside voluntarily rather than seek re-election when his position comes up in March. There is reportedly a desire among these bodies to allow him to depart with a measure of dignity, rather than face a forced removal.
Adding further pressure, UEFA has previously raised the possibility of boycotting FIFA-organized competitions, a threat that underscores the depth of tension between Infantino and some of the sport's most influential stakeholders.
An open letter, signed jointly by the leaders of UEFA, the AFC and CONCACAF, called for an independent investigation into the circumstances surrounding Infantino's commercial proposal. While the letter did not explicitly name Infantino, its language left little doubt about the target of its criticism.
"Leadership in football is not a possession," the letter stated. "It is not about holding – or demanding – power to be held. It is a duty of service to the football family that entrusts it. When trust is broken through deception, when an individual places himself above the collective that entrusted him with authority, that duty has been abandoned."
The standoff places FIFA at a crossroads as it navigates internal disagreements over governance and commercial strategy just months before Infantino's potential bid for another term. Trump's endorsement injects a high-profile political voice into what has largely been an internal football governance dispute, though it remains to be seen whether his comments will have any bearing on the confederations' stance.
As the situation develops, all eyes will be on whether Infantino chooses to step down ahead of the March timeline or whether he intends to contest for re-election despite the mounting pressure from three of football's most significant regional organizations.
Based on reporting from Standard Football.