United States (US) President Donald Trump has told FIFA that removing Gianni Infantino as its president would be “a terrible mistake”, stepping into the growing dispute over the future of world football’s governing body.
Infantino faces mounting pressure after his plan to sell stakes in the men’s World Cup to private investors collapsed. Trump defended the FIFA president in a post on his Truth Social platform early on Tuesday.
“FIFA would be making a terrible mistake if, for any reason, they even considered replacing president Gianni Infantino,” Trump wrote. “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 as successful or profitable again!”
Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) and two other confederations have opened early discussions about running their own competitions independently as the backlash against Infantino intensifies. Europe’s governing body, along with the Asian Football Confederation and Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF), has accused Infantino of “deception.”
The three confederations reportedly want to give Infantino the option to step down and leave his post with dignity, without seeking re-election in March next year. At the same time, they are moving to distance themselves from the controversies surrounding him. UEFA has previously raised the possibility of boycotting FIFA competitions altogether.
Infantino apologized for his proposal to launch FIFA Forward Enterprise, a company designed to manage the commercial and operational side of FIFA’s tournaments. The plan included selling around 20 percent of the company to private investors.
An open letter signed by the presidents of UEFA, the AFC and CONCACAF has called on FIFA to launch an independent review of the scheme, though it stops short of naming Infantino directly.
“Leadership in football is not a possession,” the letter states. “It is not about holding, or demanding, power to be held. It is a duty of service to the football family that entrusts it.”
The letter added: “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 dispute sets up a direct clash between Trump, a vocal ally of Infantino during his presidency, and three of football’s most powerful governing bodies as they weigh how to respond to the fallout from the failed private investment plan.
