Donald Trump Warns FIFA Against Ousting Gianni Infantino Amid Revolt by Global Football Leaders
The U.S. President publicly defended the embattled FIFA chief as major continental confederations demand accountability following a failed attempt to privatize World Cup commercial rights.
U.S. President Donald Trump has publicly warned FIFA that removing its president, Gianni Infantino, would be a "terrible mistake," intervening directly in an escalating governance crisis that has plunged world football's governing body into turmoil.
In a public statement, Trump praised Infantino for overseeing the expanded 2026 World Cup—co-hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico—and argued that the global tournament would never achieve comparable commercial success or profitability without Infantino at the helm.
Trump's public defense arrives as Infantino faces the most severe political challenge of his decade-long tenure.
Three of football's six continental governing bodies—UEFA in Europe, CONCACAF in North and Central America, and the Asian Football Confederation—issued a joint declaration accusing Infantino of breaking trust "through deception." The dispute stems from a secret proposal, known as FIFA Forward Enterprise, which sought to create a commercial entity to manage FIFA's broadcasting and ticketing operations and sell approximately a twenty percent stake to private equity investors.
The commercial plan was abruptly shelved following intense hostility from national federations and a threat from UEFA to boycott future FIFA competitions.
Opposition intensified further due to ties between the proposed investor group and high-profile private equity figures, including Thrive Capital, founded by Joshua Kushner, the brother of Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner.
The U.S. Soccer Federation has also aligned with the dissenting confederations, joining calls for structural governance reforms and transparency across FIFA's administrative operations.
Despite Infantino offering a formal apology and acknowledging procedural errors, the allied confederations rejected the explanation as a minor oversight, characterizing the privatization attempt as a fundamental failure of judgment.
FIFA's official leadership responded by denying allegations of improper conduct, claiming that a concerted effort is underway to undermine the governing body.
FIFA's member associations are scheduled to gather at the next FIFA Council meeting, where member representatives will review formal findings regarding the privatization attempt and evaluate Infantino's standing ahead of the upcoming presidential election cycle.
In a public statement, Trump praised Infantino for overseeing the expanded 2026 World Cup—co-hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico—and argued that the global tournament would never achieve comparable commercial success or profitability without Infantino at the helm.
Trump's public defense arrives as Infantino faces the most severe political challenge of his decade-long tenure.
Three of football's six continental governing bodies—UEFA in Europe, CONCACAF in North and Central America, and the Asian Football Confederation—issued a joint declaration accusing Infantino of breaking trust "through deception." The dispute stems from a secret proposal, known as FIFA Forward Enterprise, which sought to create a commercial entity to manage FIFA's broadcasting and ticketing operations and sell approximately a twenty percent stake to private equity investors.
The commercial plan was abruptly shelved following intense hostility from national federations and a threat from UEFA to boycott future FIFA competitions.
Opposition intensified further due to ties between the proposed investor group and high-profile private equity figures, including Thrive Capital, founded by Joshua Kushner, the brother of Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner.
The U.S. Soccer Federation has also aligned with the dissenting confederations, joining calls for structural governance reforms and transparency across FIFA's administrative operations.
Despite Infantino offering a formal apology and acknowledging procedural errors, the allied confederations rejected the explanation as a minor oversight, characterizing the privatization attempt as a fundamental failure of judgment.
FIFA's official leadership responded by denying allegations of improper conduct, claiming that a concerted effort is underway to undermine the governing body.
FIFA's member associations are scheduled to gather at the next FIFA Council meeting, where member representatives will review formal findings regarding the privatization attempt and evaluate Infantino's standing ahead of the upcoming presidential election cycle.