Donald Trump is backing FIFA president Gianni Infantino's re-election bid, predicting financial doom for the organization if it fails to return him to office for another four-year term when members vote in March.
"FIFA would be making a terrible mistake if, for any reason, they even considered replacing President Gianni Infantino," Trump wrote on Truth Social. "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! Thank you for your attention to this matter. President DJT."
The "four times" reference appears to point to television viewership for the 2026 World Cup, which more than doubled audiences for the 2022 tournament in Qatar.
Confederations accuse Infantino of deception
Trump's support may not be enough to save Infantino, who was accused of deception in a joint statement issued Monday by UEFA, the Asian Football Confederation and CONCACAF, which governs football in North and Central America and the Caribbean.
The three confederations said Infantino broke trust "through deception" over the now-abandoned proposal to sell stakes in the World Cup to private equity investors, including Joshua Kushner, brother of Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner. They said Infantino "placed himself above the collective" and called for a fully independent review of his conduct.
"Football's strength has always been its unity," the statement said. "We call for that unity to be honored now, for leadership that serves football, not seeks to command it."
FIFA responded Saturday with a statement criticizing a "concerted and ongoing effort" to "undermine" both the organization and Infantino. UEFA announced Thursday it would continue boycotting FIFA competitions if Infantino remains in charge, after his plan to sell $4.2 billion (£3.1 billion) in World Cup stakes to private investors collapsed. Norwegian Football Federation president Lise Klaveness called on Friday for Infantino to resign.
Support splits among federations
Mexico's football federation broke ranks with CONCACAF to back Infantino, joining Argentina, Qatar, Paraguay, Morocco and Egypt in support of him staying on as FIFA president.
Infantino has also faced allegations this week that UEFA made a "departure payment" to a female employee with whom he is alleged to have had a relationship while serving as UEFA general secretary. UEFA confirmed a payment was made, but FIFA called the allegation "categorically untrue."
Reported White House talks
Before Trump's Truth Social post, Infantino was said to be in talks with the White House over how best to save his job, the New York Post reported. An insider told the Post: "He wanted to get online with [Secretary of State Marco Rubio] and talk about how soccer can be a form of soft power for America. But we all know that it is about job protection. It is not about anything else at this point."
A second source described Infantino as feeling "isolated" by the "avalanche" of negativity surrounding his abandoned plans, adding: "He is looking for allies of note to publicly support him."
The Daily Mail contacted FIFA and the White House for comment but received no response. On X, Assistant Secretary of State for Global Public Affairs Dylan Johnson denied any call would take place, writing: "There are no plans for [Marco Rubio] to speak with Infantino and there is no call this morning. [The New York Post] should check their sources or they could have just asked us."
On Tuesday, a FIFA spokesperson told the Daily Mail: "The FIFA President has not made any call to the US President, or any members of his administration, in recent days. It is pure fiction."
Trump distances himself from sell-off plan
The reported outreach came after Trump denied all knowledge of Infantino's stake-sale proposal. Asked in the Oval Office whether Infantino had spoken to him about the plan, Trump first replied: "Who?" When the question was repeated, he said: "No, I didn't speak to him."
That response was a sharp contrast to Trump's earlier glowing comments about Infantino before and during the World Cup. The Post also reported that Infantino repeatedly tried to call Trump amid the controversy but was met with silence from the president, who received FIFA's inaugural peace prize last year.
