US President Donald Trump has strongly supported the threatened resignation of FIFA head Gianni Infantino.
The statement comes at a time when the Swiss lawyer is under unprecedented pressure due to failed financial schemes and accusations of personal affairs.
“FIFA would make a terrible mistake if for any reason it even considered replacing President Gianni Infantino“, Donald Trump wrote on his social network Truth Social. According to the American head of state, Infantino is a “fantastic“ leader who has just organized the most successful World Cup in history (the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico). Trump added that if Infantino leaves, the organization will never be as profitable and successful again.
The Scandal That Rocked FIFA
The White House's sharp reaction is a consequence of the deepest crisis of Gianni Infantino's career. In the past two weeks, he has tried to push through a large-scale project to create a new commercial company (FIFA Forward Enterprise) to manage the marketing rights to the world finals. The idea was to sell 20% of the business to private investors linked to the Kushner family (Trump's relatives) for over £3 billion.
After fierce resistance from UEFA, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and CONCACAF, who threatened a complete boycott of international competitions, Infantino was forced to humiliatingly withdraw his plan.
However, the opponents of the current FIFA boss do not intend to stop there. The football associations of Norway, Albania, England, Denmark and Sweden have already officially withdrawn their support for Infantino and are demanding his immediate resignation.
Additional fuel to the fire was the revelations of Infantino's alleged extramarital affair during working hours, as well as suspicions of political corruption surrounding the cancellation of the red card of the American international Folarin Balogun during the World Cup, after a direct phone call from Trump.
The “bromance“ between Trump and Infantino
The close relationship between the two leaders is no secret to the sports community. During the World Cup in the United States, they demonstrated exceptional closeness, and at the end of last year, Infantino even presented the American president with a specially established “FIFA Peace Prize“. Rumors have even emerged in Washington that Donald Trump wants to nominate Infantino as the next UN Secretary-General.
Although FIFA has officially apologized to its 211 member states for the "errors in the process" of selling the rights, Infantino's position ahead of the congress in March 2027 remains very shaky. However, the firm support from the White House could prove to be a decisive trump card in his battle for survival at the top of world football.