Trump Defends FIFA President Infantino, Warns Against Replacing Him
United States President Donald Trump has thrown his support behind FIFA President Gianni Infantino, warning that replacing the football governing body’s leader would be a “terrible mistake.”
Trump made the comments in a social media post amid growing pressure on Infantino from several major regional football confederations over concerns about transparency and the management of a proposed multibillion-dollar commercial project.
UEFA, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and CONCACAF recently issued a joint open letter accusing Infantino of breaching their trust over the FIFA Forward Enterprise project, which involved a proposal to sell a significant minority stake in a new commercial entity responsible for managing World Cup broadcasting and ticketing rights.
The project was expected to raise as much as $4.2 billion from private equity investors but was eventually abandoned following criticism over transparency and concerns about the increasing commercialisation of football.
The three confederations called for an independent review of the circumstances surrounding the project, arguing that football should be built on unity rather than a desire for control.
Despite the controversy, Trump strongly defended Infantino and praised his leadership of FIFA, particularly during the 2026 World Cup, which was hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Trump argued that FIFA would struggle to achieve the same level of success and profitability without Infantino at the helm.
“FIFA would be making a terrible mistake if, for any reason, they even considered replacing President Gianni Infantino,” Trump said.
“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’s intervention comes as pressure mounts on Infantino following the collapse of the proposed investment deal and calls from regional football authorities for greater accountability.
The FIFA president remains at the centre of the dispute as confederations push for an independent assessment of the project and the decision-making surrounding it.
