Trump defends Infantino: Replacing him would be a “grave mistake”

US President Donald Trump intervened yesterday to bolster the position of Swiss-Italian FIFA President Gianni Infantino, who faces calls for his resignation from several continental confederations following his controversial, ultimately abandoned project aimed at opening up the organization to private investment in the staging of the World Cup and other tournaments.

Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform: “FIFA would make a huge mistake if it thought, for any reason, even for a single moment, of replacing its president, Gianni Infantino,” describing him as “great.”

Trump affirmed that Infantino “just presided over the most successful World Cup,” held in June and July in North America, adding that if he were to leave, “the tournament would never again see such success or such profitability.”

This reaffirms the US president’s closeness to Infantino, who received the “FIFA Peace Award” from him in December 2025, a prize created specifically for him. Infantino also successfully lobbied Trump during the 2026 World Cup, co-hosted by the United States, Mexico, and Canada, to review a red card issued to a player on the US national team.

Infantino, 56, who is positioned as a candidate to succeed himself at the helm of FIFA, has been embroiled in a crisis since the revelation of his controversial project, which was eventually shelved, to open FIFA to private sector investors. However, the European (UEFA), North, Central American and Caribbean (CONCACAF), and Asian confederations published a joint open letter to the deeply divided football world the day before yesterday, signaling their determination to see Infantino step down from the FIFA presidency.

These confederations defended their stance by stating that football “does not belong to anyone,” and that leadership “is not about possessing power to keep or claim it, but rather a duty of service to the football family.” In doing so, the confederations undermined Infantino’s attempts to save his throne, without explicitly naming the Swiss-Italian official.

Just a few weeks ago, Infantino appeared poised for an easy re-election in March 2027, following the 2026 World Cup, the most profitable in history, with revenues reaching approximately $15 billion.

CONCACAF President Victor Montagliani is viewed as a potential rival to Infantino, who is set to run for a fourth and final term. The names of candidates must be declared by November 18.

Two weeks after the crisis erupted, Infantino once again received Trump’s support, along with backing from the African and South American confederations, as well as Mexico, which publicly distanced itself from the position of CONCACAF, of which it is a member. Meanwhile, the other two 2026 World Cup co-hosts, Canada and the United States, called for “fundamental changes to strengthen FIFA governance” via the X platform.

The US and Canadian football associations, along with the Caribbean Football Union and the Central American Football Union, stated: “We stand together, alongside our colleagues around the world, demanding real change that strengthens FIFA’s governance, transparency, and accountability.”

In their letter, the confederations wrote: “Leadership in football is not ownership, nor is it a matter of holding onto or claiming power.” The post, shared by the US and Canadian federations on social media, included a link to the joint letter.