United States President, Donald Trump, has thrown his support behind FIFA president Gianni Infantino, warning that removing the football administrator from office would be a “terrible mistake” amid growing calls for his departure.
Trump’s intervention comes after UEFA, Concacaf and the Asian Football Confederation jointly accused Infantino of breaking trust “through deception” over a controversial proposal involving FIFA’s commercial and ticketing rights.
The proposal, known as FIFA Forward Enterprise, would have created a new company to oversee the commercial and ticketing rights of FIFA competitions, including the World Cup. Under the plan, a 21 per cent stake would have been sold to a private investment firm.
Speaking on social media, Trump said, “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.”
The 2026 World Cup, which was staged across the United States, Canada and Mexico, ended with Spain defeating Argentina in the final.
Trump had previously said he had not discussed the FFE proposal with Infantino when he first addressed the controversy on July 31.
The proposed investment group was expected to be led by Thrive Eternal, an American venture capital firm founded by Joshua Kushner, the brother of Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner.
Infantino has maintained a close relationship with Trump and presented him with FIFA’s inaugural Peace Prize in December 2025.
The FIFA president is facing mounting opposition following the collapse of the FFE proposal. UEFA has threatened to boycott FIFA competitions and has also indicated that it could pursue legal action over the plan.
In a joint letter, UEFA, Concacaf and the AFC said: “When trust is broken through deception, when an individual places himself above the collective that entrusted him with authority, that duty has been abandoned.”
Although Infantino was not named directly in the statement, sources told the BBC that the letter could be interpreted as an opportunity for him to resign and leave office with dignity.
There have also reportedly been preliminary discussions among the three confederations about the possibility of breakaway competitions if Infantino remains FIFA president, although substantive negotiations have yet to begin.
Trump’s backing represents his first public defence of Infantino since details of the FFE plan emerged on July 28.
The US Soccer Federation has also called for “meaningful change”, adding to the pressure surrounding Infantino’s leadership.
