US President Donald Trump has thrown his support behind FIFA President Gianni Infantino amid growing criticism of the football governing body’s abandoned private investment scheme and allegations surrounding the FIFA chief.
Trump, in a post on Truth Social on Monday, warned that FIFA would be making a “terrible mistake” if it considered replacing Infantino, who is seeking re-election next March.
“FIFA would be making a terrible mistake if, for any reason, they even considered replacing President Gianni Infantino,” Trump said, describing the Italian-Swiss lawyer as “fantastic” and praising his leadership of what he called the most successful World Cup ever staged.
Trump added, “If he is gone, it will never be as successful or profitable again!”
His backing contrasts with the position of US Soccer, which issued a statement criticising Infantino alongside Canada Soccer and football organisations in Central America and the Caribbean.
Infantino has denied allegations of wrongdoing, while FIFA has defended its president, describing the criticism as “a concerted and ongoing effort by some to undermine” the organisation.
Other football bodies, including the Confederation of African Football (CAF) and South American governing body CONMEBOL, have also expressed support for Infantino.
The FIFA president has come under increasing pressure over a now-abandoned proposal to open the organisation to private investment.
FIFA had floated a plan that it said could raise up to $4.2bn based on a $20bn valuation for a new commercial subsidiary, the FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE), which would have managed events including the World Cup and Club World Cup.
The proposal triggered criticism from within and outside FIFA, with Infantino facing calls to resign over his handling of the plan.
FIFA’s senior leadership last Wednesday gave Infantino its “full support” following a crisis meeting in Morocco and apologised for the controversy surrounding the proposal.
The organisation acknowledged that “errors were also made after the proposal was leaked to media”, while maintaining its backing for Infantino.
FIFA said the scheme, if approved, could have provided each of its 211 member associations with a one-off payment of $20m in early 2027 and increased their funding allocation for the 2027–2030 cycle from $8m to $20m.
However, the proposal triggered a strong backlash, with European football’s governing body UEFA reportedly threatening to boycott the World Cup.
Infantino eventually withdrew the plan two weeks ago amid mounting opposition.
“Our purpose has always been — and will always be — to unite and improve,” he said.
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