U.S. President Donald Trump backed under-pressure football chief Gianni Infantino, after calls grew for the FIFA boss to quit following his aborted plan to sell off parts of the World Cup tournament to private investors.
“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,” Trump posted Tuesday morning on Truth Social.
Trump and Infantino cultivated a close relationship in the run-up to the 2026 World Cup, hosted this summer in North America, and the U.S. president helped present the trophy to victorious Spain in New Jersey in July.
Infantino has faced a deluge of criticism and demands to step down after revelations he planned to spin off a new company from the Swiss-based nonprofit that oversees international football. FIFA Forward Enterprise would have owned and managed the commercial rights to FIFA competitions — including broadcasting, sponsorship, ticketing, licensing and related businesses.
Joshua Kushner, brother of Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, was in line to be the lead investor in the controversial project.
The FIFA boss withdrew the plan after days of blowback, but has dug his heels in as British Prime Minister Andy Burnham, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and European football governing body UEFA have suggested he step down.
“If he is gone, [FIFA] will never be as successful or profitable again,” Trump added.