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Donald Trump has praised FIFA President Gianni Infantino, stating his removal would be a “terrible mistake”.
Gianni Infantino (left) with USA President Donald Trump during FIFA World Cup 2026 final. (AFP Photo)
US President Donald Trump has thrown his weight behind under-fire FIFA chief Gianni Infantino amid the fallout from the ill-fated plan to sell stake in the football World Cup, which drew severe backlash from football associations around the world.
Infantino is facing increasing pressure to resign as FIFA president over a plan that he subsequently withdrew to raise private investment for a new commercial subsidiary, called the FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE), which was proposed to run the commercial side of the World Cups.
However, Trump has said FIFA would be committing a “terrible mistake” if it decided to remove Infantino as its president, citing how he oversaw the “most successful’ world cup tournament in history.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup was co-hosted by the USA, Mexico and Canada, with Spain beating Argentina in the final to win their second title.
“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! Thank you for your attention to this matter. President DJT,” Trump posted on Truth Social.
Three of FIFA’s most powerful confederations have intensified their criticism of Infantino’s leadership, with UEFA, CONCACAF and the AFC taking aim at both the Swiss’s leadership style and the way he handled a controversial plan in an open letter on Monday.
The 56-year-old Infantino has spent 10 years at the helm of FIFA and during this, an increased funding for the governing body’s 211 member associations has delivered tangible benefits.
The Confederation of African Football (CAF), however, remains firmly in his camp.
One of CAF members, Morocco, will co-host the 2030 World Cup.
There were reports that Infantino allegedly offered Morocco the final of the next world cup if it supports his bid for reelection. However, FIFA firmly rejected the claim.
South American governing body CONMEBOL has also remained largely supportive of Infantino, despite criticising the way the plan was developed and managed. It said his future should be determined only at next March’s presidential election in Rabat.
Mexico, one of this year’s World Cup co-hosts and a CONCACAF member, as well as Kuwait and Qatar from the AFC – all three have voiced their backing for the FIFA president.
UEFA, CONCACAF and the AFC though have reinforced their criticism of Infantino in their latest letter, particularly over the plan that UEFA had dismissed as a “shabby, opaque, backroom deal”.
UEFA even went to the extent of threatening to boycott every FIFA competition, including both the men’s and women’s World Cups.
Infantino has also faced calls to resign including from the Norwegian Football Federation’s president Lise Klaveness who called him to step down last Friday.
Several other national associations have since publicly withdrawn their backing for his re-election, including Denmark, Finland, Sweden, Serbia and Wales.
About the Author
Feroz Khan has been covering sports for over 12 years now and is currently working with Network18 as Principal Correspondent. He embarked on his journey in 2011 and has since acquired vast experience …Read More
August 11, 2026, 07:24 IST
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