Trump has thrown his support behind Gianni Infantino as pressure builds on the Fifa president, with major football confederations questioning his leadership and calling for change.
US President Donald Trump has warned Fifa that removing Gianni Infantino would be a “terrible mistake” as the football president faces growing opposition from some of the sport’s biggest governing bodies.
Trump made his position clear in a social media post, praising Infantino for what he described as the success of the 2026 World Cup.
“Fifa would be making a terrible mistake if, for any reason, they even considered replacing president Gianni Infantino,” Trump said.
The intervention comes at a difficult time for Infantino, who has faced criticism over the abandoned Fifa Forward Enterprise proposal.
The plan would have created a new company to manage the commercial and ticketing rights of Fifa competitions, with 21% of the company expected to be sold to a private investment group.
Uefa, Concacaf and the Asian Football Confederation have since accused Fifa of breaking trust over the proposal.
The three confederations said in a joint letter that when trust is broken through “deception”, those in charge have a duty to answer for it.
Uefa has also threatened a possible boycott of Fifa competitions and said it could take legal action over the failed proposal.
Infantino, however, still has powerful support.
SEE ALSO: Norway Calls on FIFA President Infantino to Quit as Support Splits Worldwide
Trump has a close relationship with the Fifa president, who gave him the first Fifa Peace Prize in December 2025.
The proposed investment group was also expected to involve Thrive, an American venture capital firm founded by Joshua Kushner, the brother of Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner.
Trump argued that the World Cup would not be as successful or profitable without Infantino.
But his support comes as pressure on the FIFA president continues to grow, with the United States Soccer Federation also calling for “meaningful change”.
For now, Infantino remains in his position. But with several major football bodies questioning his leadership, Trump’s public backing may not be enough to end the growing dispute.
