Donald Trump backs Gianni Infantino as FIFA faces mounting pressure over president’s future

Donald Trump has intervened publicly to defend FIFA president Gianni Infantino, warning the governing body that it would make a “terrible mistake” if it considered replacing him.

In a post on his Truth Social platform on Monday evening, the US president said: “FIFA will make a terrible mistake if it considers, for any reason, even for a moment, replacing its president, Gianni Infantino.”

Trump described Infantino as “terrific” and said he had “presided over the most successful World Cup”. He added that, if Infantino were to leave, “the tournament will never again be as successful or profitable”.

The intervention comes as Infantino’s position faces growing uncertainty, with his popularity reported to have fallen sharply during a dispute over a controversial plan to open FIFA to private-sector investors.

That proposal has failed to progress and has intensified a crisis of confidence within the international football administration. The dispute has also deepened divisions over the future direction of FIFA and the leadership of the organisation.

On Monday, three of the most powerful continental football confederations UEFA, CONCACAF and the Asian Football Confederation issued a joint open letter calling on the wider “football family” to support their position.

The coordinated appeal was viewed as an attempt to build pressure on Infantino to leave his post, although the confederations did not name him directly in the statement.

Their intervention underlined the depth of the disagreement surrounding the FIFA presidency. Only a few weeks ago, Infantino had appeared to be heading towards a comfortable re-election in March 2027, particularly with the financial success expected from the 2026 World Cup.

That tournament will be hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada, and preparations for the event have provided the backdrop to the close relationship between Trump and Infantino.

The pair’s association dates back to December 2025, when Infantino presented Trump with the “FIFA Peace Prize”. The award was created specifically for the occasion as preparations continued for the 2026 World Cup.

Trump’s message represents his strongest public defence yet of the FIFA president and comes at a critical moment for Infantino. While the US president praised the Swiss official’s record and predicted that FIFA’s flagship tournament would suffer without him, UEFA, CONCACAF and the Asian Football Confederation have made clear their opposition to the direction of the organisation during the current crisis.

The dispute now places Infantino’s previously secure position under renewed scrutiny, with the governing body facing a sharp division over both its proposed investment strategy and the leadership required to take FIFA forward.