Trump Backs Infantino Amid Growing Pressure on FIFA President

US President Donald Trump has backed FIFA President Gianni Infantino amid growing calls for his removal, warning that replacing the football governing body’s leader would be a serious mistake.

Infantino has faced mounting criticism over a now-abandoned proposal to create a new commercial arm of FIFA that could have opened major football events, including the World Cup and Club World Cup, to private investment.

The proposed FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) was projected to raise as much as $4.2 billion, based on a valuation of about $20 billion. The plan triggered strong opposition within international football, with several confederations questioning the way it was developed and communicated.

Trump’s support for Infantino comes as pressure on the FIFA president increases ahead of his expected re-election bid next March.

Three major continental football bodies UEFA, CONCACAF and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), have criticised FIFA’s handling of the commercial proposal. Their concerns have added to wider calls for greater transparency and consultation within the organisation.

The reaction has also exposed differences between Trump and football authorities in the United States. While the US president has publicly defended Infantino, US Soccer, alongside football organizations from Canada, Central America and the Caribbean, has expressed concerns over the FIFA president’s leadership.

Infantino has denied allegations of wrongdoing, while FIFA’s leadership has continued to support him. The organisation has described the criticism surrounding the commercial proposal as part of a wider effort to undermine its leadership.

Support for Infantino has also come from the Confederation of African Football (CAF) and CONMEBOL, the governing body for football in South America.

The controversy intensified after FIFA proposed that the new commercial entity would oversee major competitions and generate additional funds for the organisation and its 211 member associations.

Under the proposed arrangement, each member association could have received a one-off payment of $20 million in early 2027, while funding allocations for the 2027–2030 cycle could have increased from $8 million to $20 million.

Rather than gaining widespread support, the proposal triggered a backlash, particularly in Europe. UEFA became increasingly critical of the initiative, with tensions rising to the point where a potential boycott of the World Cup was raised.

Infantino eventually abandoned the plan two weeks ago following the growing opposition.

FIFA’s senior leadership subsequently expressed support for the president while acknowledging that mistakes had been made in the handling of the proposal and its subsequent communication.

The dispute has now placed Infantino at the centre of one of the most significant leadership controversies in FIFA in recent years, with the debate likely to continue as the organisation moves towards its next presidential election.