Trump Says Ousting Infantino Would Be A 'Terrible Mistake'

US President Donald Trump has publicly backed FIFA President Gianni Infantino, warning soccer leaders that pushing the global administrator out of his role would be a major mistake.

The American president's defense came via social media following an unprecedented joint open letter from European (UEFA), North American (CONCACAF), and Asian (AFC) governing bodies. The three regional federations accused Infantino of breaking trust "through deception" after a controversial attempt to sell off a private stake in the World Cup's commercial rights.

Posting on Truth Social, Trump lauded Infantino's stewardship of the 2026 World Cup, which was hosted across the United States, Canada, and Mexico, arguing that removing the FIFA chief would severely harm the tournament's future commercial prospects.

“FIFA would be making a terrible mistake if, for any reason, they even considered replacing president Gianni Infantino," Trump wrote, adding:

"He is fantastic, having just presided over the most successful World Cup, by four times, ever presented. If he is gone, it will never be as successful or profitable again!"

"Thank you for your attention to this matter. President DJT."

The endorsement highlights the close connection between the two figures. Infantino presented Trump with the newly created FIFA Peace Prize in December 2025.

The Scrapped Privatization Venture

The revolt against Infantino centers on the now-abandoned FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) project. The proposed initiative aimed to hand over commercial and ticketing operations for major FIFA events to a new company, with roughly 20% to 21% of the equity intended for private investment funds. Thrive Eternal, an investment vehicle established by Joshua Kushner, who is the brother of Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner, was slated to lead the investor group.

Although Infantino issued an apology and withdrew the plan, the joint statement from the three major continental confederations insisted the move represented a broader breach of institutional responsibility.

"When trust is broken through deception, when an individual places himself above the collective that entrusted him with authority, that duty has been abandoned," the three confederations asserted in their letter, saying:

"There remains no recognition that attempting to sell an interest in the FIFA World Cup was a profound failure of judgment – not just a procedural misstep, but a fundamental breach of trust with the very institutions FIFA exists to serve."

They added:

"A proposal advanced on a compressed timeline, without meaningful consultation, and pushed toward a deadline before member associations could properly review its terms is not the product of an oversight -- it is the product of a design intended to limit scrutiny."

"Football is the world's greatest shared passion. It belongs to no individual and no institution. It belongs to the players, the fans, the clubs, the member associations and every institution entrusted with safeguarding its future. It is in that spirit, as confederations representing its members, that we speak collectively today."

The dispute has exposed deep divisions across international sports administration. While UEFA has maintained threat levels regarding potential boycotts of FIFA tournaments and explored alternative competition frameworks alongside CONCACAF and the AFC, other regional blocs have taken a different stance.

Backing the broader CONCACAF stance, U.S. Soccer released a joint message alongside neighboring member associations, stating:

"Canada Soccer, US Soccer, CFU (Caribbean Football Union) and UNCAF (Central American Football Union) stand together, along with our colleagues around the world, in calling for meaningful change that strengthens FIFA's governance, transparency and accountability."

Despite calls for an independent third-party investigation into the FFE project, Infantino has refused demands to step down, maintaining his plan to seek reelection when his current mandate ends.