Donald Trump has come out in support of FIFA president Gianni Infantino, saying the organization would be making a major error by moving on from him.
On Monday evening, Trump used Truth Social to argue that FIFA’s recent success is tied directly to Infantino’s leadership, writing: “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. If he is gone, it will never be successful or profitable again! Thank you for your attention to this matter. President DJT.”
Trump’s assertion about financial success has foundation in fact. The 2026 World Cup, jointly hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada, generated approximately $15 billion in revenue and broke attendance records across North American venues.
His intervention follows growing criticism of Infantino after reports that FIFA wants to set up a new $20 billion company before the 2030 World Cup. Under the proposal, stakes would be sold to private investors, with Josh Kushner’s firm Thrive Capital said to be leading the arrangement. The deal would have given FIFA’s 211 member associations an immediate $20 million payment to approve the plan, with additional payments of $20 million, $22 million and $24 million distributed between 2027 and 2038.
Opponents of the plan say it puts financial gain ahead of the sport’s traditions, and the backlash intensified with a joint statement from football authorities in Europe, North and Central America and the Caribbean, and Asia.
Those associations accused FIFA of a “fundamental breach of trust” and “deception” over the way it has handled the proposed World Cup stake sale. They also said the investment idea creates serious concerns about who the game is really being run for, stressing that football exists for “the fans, the clubs, the Member Associations and every institution entrusted with safeguarding its future”.
The joint declaration said: “Football is the world’s greatest shared passion. It belongs to no individual and no institution. It is in that spirit, as confederations representing its members, that we speak collectively today.”
The confederation presidents went further, stating: “This is about something more fundamental [than money]: the integrity of the game, and the integrity of those elected to lead it. Leadership in football is not a possession. It is not about holding – or demanding – power to be held. It is a duty of service to the football family that entrusts it. 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 letter also argued that although FIFA had apologized for “failure of communication”, the real issue was deeper, saying they believed “what football witnessed was a failure of judgment”.
It continued: “It did not acknowledge that the proposal itself was inherently wrong. There remains no recognition that attempting to sell an interest in the FIFA World Cup was a profound failure of judgment – not just a procedural misstep, but a fundamental breach of trust with the very institutions FIFA exists to serve.”
The statement ended with a direct message to FIFA: “There is silence where there should be accountability, distance where there should be openness. These are not the qualities football deserves in its leadership. That is why we have taken this stance: not lightly and not alone, but together, and out of duty to the game we serve. Football’s strength has always been its unity. We call for that unity to be honoured now, for leadership that serves football, not seeks to command it.”
Trump and Infantino have forged a close relationship during the World Cup hosting process. Infantino presented Trump with the inaugural FIFA Peace Prize in December 2025, making him the first recipient of the award. The two men sat together at the World Cup final on July 19, 2026, when they presented the trophy and medals to winning Spain and runner-up Argentina.
Despite Trump’s public backing, opposition to Infantino remains substantial. UEFA has threatened to boycott future men’s and women’s World Cups, while the South American confederation CONMEBOL and African confederation CAF have offered strong support. Speculation has grown about whether Infantino’s prospects of securing another term as FIFA president beginning in 2027 remain viable, with some analysts noting that the controversy could hinder his electoral prospects.