FIFA denies Gianni Infantino had talks arranged with Donald Trump administration

FIFA has denied reports that president Gianni Infantino was seeking help from Donald Trump’s administration as pressure grows over his position at world football’s governing body.

The denial followed a report in the New York Post claiming Infantino had turned to the Trump administration for support in his effort to remain in office.

A FIFA source told Fox News that no conversation had been scheduled between Infantino and United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio, or with any other member of the Trump administration, either on Monday or at any other time.

The source specifically rejected the New York Post’s claim that such a discussion had been arranged.

The newspaper reported on Monday that Infantino was expected to hold a private conversation with Rubio while facing increasing scrutiny over his unsuccessful attempt to sell part of FIFA’s commercial business to private investors.

According to the New York Post, the stated purpose of the proposed discussion was to consider how football could be used as a form of “soft power” for the United States.

However, one source cited by the newspaper characterised the proposed contact as an attempt by Infantino to win backing for his position.

“He wanted to reach out to the secretary and talk about how football could be a form of soft power for America, but we all know it’s about protecting the position. It’s not about anything else at this stage,” the source said.

The report also claimed that Infantino had made repeated efforts to contact Trump since the controversial proposal collapsed on Friday.

It said the FIFA president was looking for influential allies who would be prepared to defend him publicly.

FIFA’s source denied that any meeting or call had been scheduled with Rubio or another Trump administration official. However, the governing body did not issue an official institutional statement addressing the New York Post’s separate claim that Infantino had tried to contact Trump directly.

The reports come as Infantino faces pressure following the failure of the proposal involving part of FIFA’s commercial operations and private-sector investors. The New York Post linked his reported outreach to the wider challenge of preserving his position as FIFA president.

FIFA did not confirm that Infantino had sought assistance from the US administration, and the source’s comments were limited to disputing claims about scheduled contact with Rubio and other government officials.