U.S. President Donald Trump has thrown his support behind FIFA President Gianni Infantino, warning that replacing the embattled football chief would be a “terrible mistake” as pressure mounts over controversies surrounding his leadership.
Trump made the remarks on Monday in a post on Truth Social, describing Infantino as “fantastic” and crediting him with overseeing what he called the most successful FIFA World Cup ever.
“FIFA would be making a terrible mistake if, for any reason, they even considered replacing President Gianni Infantino,” Trump said.
He added: “If he is gone, it will never be as successful or profitable again!”
Trump’s intervention comes as Infantino faces growing scrutiny over allegations of a workplace affair and criticism surrounding a now-abandoned proposal to attract private investment into FIFA’s commercial operations.
Infantino, who is seeking re-election next March, has denied allegations of wrongdoing.
FIFA has also stood firmly behind its president, describing the criticism as part of “a concerted and ongoing effort by some to undermine” the organisation.
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) and South American governing body CONMEBOL are among the football organisations that have backed Infantino.
However, U.S. Soccer has taken a different position, joining Canada Soccer and football bodies from Central America and the Caribbean in publicly criticising the FIFA president.
The latest controversy was triggered by FIFA’s proposal for a new commercial subsidiary, the FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE).
The plan was designed to raise as much as $4.2 billion, based on a proposed valuation of $20 billion, with the new entity expected to oversee major competitions including the World Cup and Club World Cup.
The proposal triggered intense opposition within football, including criticism from European football’s governing body, UEFA.
FIFA’s leadership later acknowledged that mistakes had been made in the handling of the proposal and issued an apology following a crisis meeting in Morocco.
Infantino eventually withdrew the plan two weeks ago after the backlash intensified.
FIFA had argued that the proposed investment structure could have generated significant additional funding for its 211 member associations, including a one-off payment of $20 million to each association in early 2027.
It also proposed increasing funding allocations for the 2027-2030 cycle from $8 million to $20 million per member association.
Instead of easing concerns, however, the proposal fuelled a wider dispute over the commercialisation and governance of the sport.
Despite the controversy, FIFA’s senior leadership last week expressed its “full support” for Infantino.
“Our purpose has always been and will always be to unite and improve,” Infantino said after withdrawing the investment proposal.
With the FIFA presidency election approaching, Trump’s intervention adds another high-profile voice to the debate over Infantino’s future at the helm of world football.
