- US President Donald Trump posted a warning on Truth Social urging FIFA to keep Gianni Infantino as its president
- UEFA, AFC and CONCACAF released a joint statement calling for a full investigation into the collapsed FIFA Forward Enterprise initiative
- UEFA separately launched an investigation into Infantino’s tenure at the organisation amid growing political pressure against him
US President Donald Trump has come out strongly in defence of FIFA President Gianni Infantino, warning world football’s governing body that removing him from office would be a grave error.
Trump published the warning on his Truth Social platform, describing Infantino as “fantastic” and crediting him with overseeing the most successful FIFA World Cup in history.
Source: Getty Images
“FIFA would be making a terrible mistake if, for any reason, they even considered replacing president Gianni Infantino,” Trump wrote.
“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.”
Pressure mounts on Infantino
The intervention came as Infantino faces growing scrutiny from both media and football authorities. Much of the pressure has been driven by UEFA, the European football governing body where Infantino previously served as general secretary before taking the top job at FIFA.
According to the Telegraph, UEFA opened an investigation into his conduct during his time at the organisation following reports that UEFA made payments to a woman described as his mystery lover.
UEFA has also joined forces with the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and the Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF) in a joint statement demanding a full investigation into the FIFA Forward Enterprise initiative.
The FIFA Forward Enterprise initiative has become a central point of contention in the effort by some football bodies to challenge Infantino’s leadership. The nature of its collapse has not been fully detailed publicly, but the joint statement from UEFA, AFC and CONCACAF signals that senior confederations consider the matter serious enough to warrant independent review.
Trump’s post represents an unusual foray by a sitting US president into the internal politics of international football governance. His remarks suggest the White House views Infantino as a valued partner, particularly given the United States’ role as one of the co-hosts of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
FIFA denied Infantino called Trump
Legit.ng previously reported that FIFA denied that Gianni Infantino called US President Donald Trump for political support amid mounting pressure.
The world football governing body labelled it as fake news, while the US Department of State also denied a meeting between Infantino and Marco Rubio.
Source: Legit.ng