Trump warns FIFA against replacing Infantino after World Cup row

US President Donald Trump publicly defended FIFA President Gianni Infantino on August 11, stating it would be a "terrible mistake" to remove him from office. Trump posted on Truth Social that Infantino is "fantastic" and credited him with presiding over "the most successful World Cup, by four times, ever presented." The 2026 FIFA World Cup, co-hosted by the United States, Mexico, and Canada, ran from June 11 to July 19 and featured 48 teams—the first World Cup with an expanded format from the previous 32-team standard—across 16 cities.

Infantino's position has faced mounting pressure from major football confederations following his July 30 proposal to sell approximately 20 percent of FIFA World Cup commercial rights to private investors through a new entity called FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE). The plan would establish a company to manage commercial and operational aspects of FIFA's major tournaments, including the men's and women's World Cups and the Club World Cup.

The proposal triggered significant backlash. UEFA, representing 55 member-states in Europe, voted to boycott FIFA-sponsored tournaments. The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and CONCACAF, which oversees football in North, Central America, and the Caribbean, also rejected the proposal and accused Infantino of "deception." An open letter signed by the heads of these three confederations called for an independent review into the scheme and stated that "when trust is broken through deception, when an individual places himself above the collective that entrusted him with authority, that duty has been abandoned." The confederations have reportedly discussed organizing competitions independently and are understood to want Infantino to resign with dignity before the March 2027 FIFA Congress, when he would face re-election.

Infantino, 56, apologized for the commercial proposal. Trump's public support comes amid reports that the FIFA president became close to the American leader during the recent World Cup. According to the New York Post, Trump previously expressed interest in seeing Infantino appointed as the next UN Secretary General.