'New York Post': FIFA President Asked Trump Administration for Help to Remain in Office

- Infantino to hold talks with US Secretary of State

The New York Post, citing sources, reported that FIFA President Gianni Infantino has asked the administration of US President Donald Trump to help him retain his position amid mounting pressure within the federation’s corridors.

The newspaper added that Infantino plans to hold talks with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, without providing further details on the nature or timing of these communications.

Meanwhile, the French newspaper L’Equipe reported that French President Emmanuel Macron played a direct role in pushing Infantino to back down from a plan to sell stakes in the commercial rights of the World Cup to private investors.

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The newspaper noted that Macron held a decisive phone call with Infantino hours before the FIFA president announced his withdrawal from the project, a move regarded as a turning point in the course of the crisis.

These developments follow a wave of widespread criticism directed at Infantino after he proposed creating a commercial company to manage the World Cup’s commercial rights and sell a stake to investors for approximately $20 billion. The project drew objections from continental and national federations, most notably UEFA (Union of European Football Associations), which declared a loss of confidence in Infantino’s leadership and called for a change in FIFA’s management, warning against making fateful decisions affecting the future of global football without consulting member associations.