U.S. President Donald Trump voiced strong support for FIFA President Gianni Infantino, urging that he should remain at the helm of the global soccer organization. Trump praised Infantino’s leadership, citing the success of the recent World Cup under his direction as unprecedented. He emphasized that removing Infantino would jeopardize the future success and profitability of FIFA.
Trump’s endorsement of Infantino came following a joint statement by UEFA, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), and CONCACAF condemning Infantino’s handling of a proposed sale of a stake in the World Cup’s commercial rights. The statement raised concerns about Infantino breaking trust through deceptive practices and called for an independent review of the situation.
In response to the backlash, Prime Minister Mark Carney expressed lack of confidence in Infantino’s leadership, referencing the controversial proposal to sell off World Cup commercial rights. The football community has been in turmoil over Infantino’s now-abandoned plan to sell a portion of these rights to private investors, including connections to Thrive Capital, founded by Joshua Kushner, brother of Trump’s son-in-law.
UEFA, along with AFC and CONCACAF, have threatened to boycott FIFA events until assurances are made that similar schemes will not be pursued in the future. They emphasized the importance of leadership in football serving the sport’s best interests and called for accountability and transparency in FIFA’s decision-making processes.
Despite the criticism, Infantino garnered support from various confederations, including CAF and select South American countries. FIFA defended Infantino against allegations and criticized attempts to undermine his leadership, stressing the need to adhere to the organization’s statutes and democratic procedures.
While some member associations have publicly expressed support for Infantino, others have withdrawn their backing or indicated they will not vote for him. Despite divisions within the confederations, Infantino continues to have backing from certain regions, demonstrating a mixed sentiment regarding his leadership within the global football community.
