‘Terrible mistake’: Donald Trump warns FIFA against replacing Infantino as pressure mounts on the embattled president

Donald Trump warned that removing Gianni Infantino could prove costly for FIFA.

US President Donald Trump has jumped to the defence of his close ally and embattled FIFA president Gianni Infantino, warning the world football governing body against replacing him and calling any such move a “terrible mistake”.

U.S. President Donald Trump and FIFA President Gianni Infantino during the trophy presentation after the match (REUTERS)

Infantino has come under immense pressure after his controversial plan to sell a stake in the commercial arm of the men’s World Cup to private investors collapsed amid opposition from three confederations.

The proposal centred on the creation of Fifa Forward Enterprise (FFE), a company that would oversee the commercial and operational aspects of FIFA’s tournaments. The plan included the possibility of selling around 20% of the company to private investors.

The controversy eventually led to calls for Infantino to step down as FIFA president.

Taking to his Truth Social account early on Tuesday, Trump warned that removing Infantino could prove costly for FIFA.

The US president wrote: “FIFA would be making a terrible mistake if, for any reason, they even considered replacing president Gianni Infantino.

The strongest opposition to Infantino’s proposal came from UEFA. After FIFA had originally set September 19 as the deadline for member associations to accept the plan, UEFA held a virtual meeting with its 55 members, with European football threatening a boycott of the World Cup if the proposal remained in place.

The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and Concacaf, which oversees football in the Caribbean, North America and Central America, also criticised FIFA’s handling of the proposal, with both bodies accusing Infantino of “deception”.

The plan was eventually scrapped amid the escalating tensions. Infantino then issued an apology last week following a crisis meeting in Morocco, where senior FIFA officials “reaffirmed their full support” for his leadership.

However, UEFA has not withdrawn its opposition, arguing that Infantino’s apology and the decision to abandon the proposal do not fully address Europe’s concerns.

Trump’s latest intervention is not the first time he has publicly backed the embattled FIFA chief.

Last week, a report in Britain’s The Telegraph claimed that Trump was prepared to do everything in his power to ensure Infantino remained FIFA president after the Swiss-Italian reached out to the Trump administration, including US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, to strengthen his position.

Trump and Infantino first met in 2018, but their relationship has grown considerably closer during the planning and build-up to the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which is being hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico.

Infantino has publicly cultivated that relationship, including presenting Trump with a personalised gold trophy and medal during a World Cup draw ceremony. Trump was also awarded FIFA’s “Peace Prize” in December.