Washington, Aug 2026 : US President Donald Trump has thrown his support behind FIFA President Gianni Infantino, warning that football’s world governing body would make a “terrible mistake” if it considered replacing the Swiss administrator as opposition to his leadership grows across international football.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump praised Infantino’s leadership and credited him with overseeing what he described as the most successful FIFA World Cup in history. Trump argued that the tournament would not have achieved the same level of success or profitability without Infantino at the helm.
“FIFA would be making a terrible mistake if, for any reason, they even considered replacing President Gianni Infantino. 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!” Trump wrote.
The intervention comes as Infantino faces his most serious challenge yet from within the international football establishment, with several powerful confederations openly questioning his leadership.
UEFA, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and CONCACAF launched a fresh criticism of the FIFA president on Monday, accusing him of undermining trust through what they described as “deception” and of placing himself above the collective interests of world football.
The dispute centres on Infantino’s controversial proposal to sell a stake in the commercial rights of the World Cup to private investors. Although the proposal has since been abandoned, it triggered strong opposition among several football authorities, particularly in Europe.
Infantino’s plan involved selling 20 per cent of the World Cup’s commercial rights, with the transaction potentially generating around $4.2 billion. The proposal was met with resistance from several confederations and football officials who raised concerns about transparency, governance and the concentration of commercial power.
In a joint open letter to the international football community, UEFA, AFC and CONCACAF stopped short of directly demanding Infantino’s resignation but called for an independent investigation into how the proposal was developed and presented.
“Football’s strength has always been its unity. We call for that unity to be honoured now, for leadership that serves football, not seeks to command it,” the three confederations said.
The confederations have also threatened to boycott FIFA tournaments unless they receive assurances that similar proposals involving the commercial rights of major competitions will not be pursued in the future.
“Leadership in football is not a possession. It is not about holding or demanding power to be held. It is a duty of service to the football family that entrusts it,” they said.
The three bodies also criticised an emergency FIFA meeting held in Morocco last week, claiming that only one elected official attended. They called for a completely independent review, conducted without FIFA involvement, into what they characterised as a “profound failure of judgement”.
The confrontation has intensified speculation about Infantino’s future ahead of the next FIFA presidential election. Norway Football Federation President Lise Klaveness, one of Infantino’s most vocal critics, called for him to resign last week.
Despite the growing opposition, Infantino continues to retain significant support across the international football community. The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has issued a statement backing the FIFA president on behalf of its 54 member associations.
Several countries in the Americas have also publicly supported Infantino, including Mexico and South American nations such as Argentina, Paraguay, Ecuador and Bolivia.
FIFA itself has strongly defended its president, warning against what it described as a “concerted and ongoing effort” to undermine Infantino’s leadership. The organisation has maintained that any attempt to challenge the president must be conducted in accordance with FIFA’s statutes and established democratic procedures.
The governing body has also rejected allegations concerning payments made by UEFA to a former employee during Infantino’s tenure as UEFA general secretary. Infantino has denied wrongdoing, while FIFA has described the allegations as baseless.
Trump’s public endorsement adds a significant political dimension to the dispute as Infantino attempts to consolidate support ahead of the presidential election. Trump has developed a close public relationship with Infantino, particularly around preparations for the 2026 World Cup, which will be jointly hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico.
The FIFA leadership contest remains fluid. Nearly 70 of FIFA’s 211 member associations have publicly indicated support for Infantino, while around a dozen have either withdrawn earlier commitments or made clear that they will not vote for him.
With influential confederations demanding greater accountability and independent scrutiny, while other regions continue to back him, Infantino faces a growing political battle over the future direction of FIFA. Trump’s intervention could strengthen his position among supporters, but it is unlikely to end the wider debate over governance, commercial rights and leadership within world football.
(The content of this article is sourced from a news agency and has not been edited by the Mavericknews30 team.)
