Trump warns FIFA against ousting Infantino amid governance crisis
Donald Trump has publicly backed Gianni Infantino, declaring his removal a “terrible mistake”, as FIFA faces intense pressure from UEFA, CONCACAF and the AFC over a collapsed World Cup stake sale and allegations concerning the president’s past conduct.
US President Donald Trump has publicly intervened in the escalating governance crisis at FIFA, warning the global football governing body that it would make a “terrible mistake” by replacing President Gianni Infantino. The intervention underscores the deepening political fracture within international football as allegations against the president’s leadership intensify.
Speaking on his Truth Social platform, Trump described Infantino as “fantastic” and claimed he had presided over the “most successful World Cup, by four times, ever presented”. The US president argued that removing the FIFA president would be a “costly move” that would see the tournament become “never as successful or profitable again”.
Infantino has come under severe pressure following the collapse of the FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) proposal, which aimed to sell approximately 20 per cent of the men’s World Cup stakes to private investors. The plan was rejected by UEFA, CONCACAF and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), who signed an open letter on Monday condemning the proposal as a “fundamental breach of trust” and a “profound failure of judgment”.
The three continental associations have threatened to boycott FIFA competitions, a stance UEFA confirmed remains in effect while Infantino is in post. In their letter, the confederations criticised a recent FIFA management committee meeting in Morocco for lacking accountability and openness, stating there was “silence where there should be accountability, distance where there should be openness”.
US Soccer and Canada Soccer have joined the call for structural change, demanding “meaningful change that strengthens FIFA’s governance, transparency and accountability”. The federations, which co-hosted the recent World Cup, stand alongside the Caribbean Football Union and UNCAF in their demand for reform.
The political turmoil coincides with renewed scrutiny of Infantino’s conduct during his tenure as UEFA general secretary between 2009 and 2016. UEFA confirmed a “departure payment” was made to a female employee, reported by The Daily Telegraph to be a six-figure sum, along with fees for an MBA course. UEFA stated the payment was “in line” with regulations at the time.
FIFA has defended Infantino against what it described as a “concerted and ongoing effort” to undermine his leadership. In a statement, the governing body accused critics of using “unsubstantiated assertions” and “demonstrably false claims” to weaken the president’s authority without a due re-election process, asserting that disagreement with change does not justify undermining the “democratic mandate” of the office.
