Trump defends Infantino as UEFA-led schism with FIFA deepens
Infantino has faced blistering criticism after his failed plan to spin off FIFA's commercial operations in a deal involving JPMorgan Chase & Co.
U.S. President Donald Trump offered his support to embattled FIFA President Gianni Infantino amid a growing revolt that threatens his leadership.
“FIFA would be making a terrible mistake if, for any reason, they even considered replacing President Gianni Infantino,” Trump said in a Truth Social post late Monday. He praised Infantino for presiding over “the most successful World Cup, by four times, ever presented.”
Infantino has faced blistering criticism from dozens of FIFA member nations and some of the biggest names in world football after his failed plan to spin off FIFA’s commercial operations in a deal involving JPMorgan Chase & Co.
He has also courted Trump’s support ahead of the 2026 World Cup, including awarding him FIFA’s first ever Peace Prize. While the tournament faced some disruptions from the Trump administration’s visa restrictions, Infantino downplayed criticism of the president and their ties. The pair were among the dignitaries on the field after the World Cup final won by Spain.
UEFA, whose members are home to the richest football leagues in the world, is leading the push to oust Infantino. The European governing body, which includes five of the last six men’s World Cup winners, is mulling a boycott of the World Cup and other FIFA tournaments if Infantino remains president. The next FIFA presidential election is in March, and Infantino plans to run for a third four-year term, the last he could serve.
Escalating that pressure, UEFA has begun preliminary discussions over holding rival international tournaments to FIFA, according to people familiar with the matter. Those talks include the Asian Football Confederation and Concacaf, the federation that includes North America, Central America and the Caribbean.
That could threaten FIFA’s lucrative tournament circuit. The World Cup brought in more than $9 billion during the 2026 edition, a record. In his post on Monday, Trump said that if Infantino were gone the World Cup “will never be as successful or profitable again!”
The first major tournament that would be impacted by any boycott would be the 2027 women’s World Cup in Brazil, although there are youth tournaments set to start in the coming months.