US President Donald Trump has thrown his support behind FIFA President Gianni Infantino amid growing pressure on the football administrator over allegations of a workplace affair and criticism surrounding a shelved private investment proposal.
Trump, in a post on Truth Social on Monday, warned FIFA against considering Infantino’s replacement, describing the move as a serious mistake.
“FIFA would be making a terrible mistake if, for any reason, they even considered replacing President Gianni Infantino,” Trump said, describing the Italian-Swiss lawyer as “fantastic” and praising his leadership of what he called the most successful World Cup ever.
“If he is gone, it will never be as successful or profitable again!”
Trump’s comments contrast with the position taken by US Soccer, which joined Canada Soccer and football organisations across Central America and the Caribbean in criticising Infantino’s leadership.
Infantino, who is expected to seek reelection next March, has denied any wrongdoing. FIFA has also continued to defend its president, describing the criticism against him as “a concerted and ongoing effort by some to undermine” the organisation.
Several major football bodies, including the Confederation of African Football (CAF) and South American football governing body CONMEBOL, have similarly expressed support for Infantino.
The FIFA president has faced mounting criticism over a proposed commercial investment plan that was expected to raise as much as $4.2 billion based on a $20 billion valuation for a new subsidiary known as FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE).
The proposed company would have been responsible for running major competitions, including the World Cup and Club World Cup.
The plan generated significant opposition, including within FIFA, with critics questioning how Infantino handled the proposal. Calls for his resignation intensified after the plan was eventually withdrawn.
FIFA’s senior leadership last Wednesday gave Infantino their “full support” while apologising for the controversy surrounding the abandoned proposal to open the World Cup to private investment.
Following a crisis meeting in Morocco, FIFA acknowledged that “errors” had been made while maintaining its backing for Infantino.
In a statement, the organisation said it acknowledged “that errors were also made after the proposal was leaked to media”.
FIFA had argued that the proposed investment structure could provide each of its 211 member associations with a one-off payment of $20 million in early 2027. It also proposed increasing funding for the 2027–2030 cycle from $8 million to $20 million per association.
Rather than easing concerns, the proposal triggered a strong backlash, with UEFA even considering a boycott of the World Cup, football’s biggest tournament.
Infantino eventually withdrew the proposal two weeks ago following the widespread criticism.
“Our purpose has always been and will always be to unite and improve,” said Infantino.
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