US President Donald Trump on Monday, August 10, 2026, publicly defended FIFA President Gianni Infantino amid a growing leadership dispute within world football, warning that replacing the 56-year-old Swiss official would be a “terrible mistake”.
Trump’s intervention comes as UEFA, CONCACAF and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) have intensified criticism of Infantino following his controversial proposal to bring private investment into FIFA’s major competitions.
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The Trump defends Infantino intervention puts the US president at odds with US Soccer, which has joined a growing group of football organisations questioning Infantino’s leadership.
“FIFA would be making a terrible mistake if, for any reason, they even considered replacing President Gianni Infantino,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
Trump described Infantino as “fantastic” and credited him with overseeing what he called the most successful World Cup ever, adding that the tournament would not be as successful or profitable without him.
The strong endorsement reflects the close relationship that has developed between Trump and Infantino during the 2026 World Cup cycle.
Infantino presented Trump with FIFA’s inaugural Peace Prize during the 2026 World Cup draw ceremony in Washington in December 2025. Trump also attended the World Cup final alongside the FIFA president last month.
Infantino’s position, however, has become increasingly difficult following his now-abandoned plan to establish FIFA Forward Enterprise, a commercial venture that would have brought private investors into FIFA’s competitions, including the World Cup.
The proposal envisaged a new commercial company controlling FIFA’s broadcasting, sponsorship, ticketing and licensing rights, while FIFA would retain control of governance and sporting decisions.
The plan attracted fierce opposition from football authorities, with UEFA and its 55 member associations threatening a boycott of FIFA competitions if the proposal proceeded.
The backlash eventually contributed to Infantino withdrawing the proposal, but the dispute has continued to damage relations between FIFA’s leadership and several continental confederations.
In a joint open letter, UEFA, CONCACAF and AFC accused Infantino of breaking trust through what they described as deception and acting beyond the authority entrusted to him.
The three confederations argued that football leadership should serve the collective interests of the sport rather than the ambitions of an individual.
The criticism represents a significant challenge to Infantino, who has been FIFA president for a decade and is seeking a fourth and final term at the FIFA Congress in March 2027.
Infantino had appeared likely to face little opposition after FIFA completed the expanded 48-team World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
The tournament’s commercial and sporting success had strengthened his position before the private investment controversy reopened questions about FIFA’s governance.
UEFA’s opposition has been particularly damaging. European football officials have described the investment proposal as an unacceptable attempt to commercialise an asset that belongs to the wider football community.
Earlier in the dispute, UEFA members backed a potential boycott of FIFA competitions if the proposal remained on the table.
The dispute has also exposed a broader disagreement over how FIFA should handle its commercial future.
FIFA has argued that private investment could help unlock greater commercial value while maintaining the governing body’s authority over sporting and regulatory matters.
Critics, however, have questioned the transparency of the process and the concentration of decision-making around Infantino.
The latest joint criticism from UEFA, CONCACAF and AFC came after an emergency FIFA management meeting in Morocco that publicly offered Infantino its support.
The confederations dismissed that backing as insufficient, arguing that the meeting did not adequately address their concerns about accountability and consultation.
“Football’s strength has always been its unity,” the three confederations said in their statement.
Infantino continues to retain important support. The Confederation of African Football has backed him, while South American football’s governing body, CONMEBOL, remains broadly supportive.
The FIFA election will ultimately be decided by individual member associations rather than the continental confederations themselves.
That means Infantino’s opponents will need to convert institutional opposition into enough votes to challenge his bid for another term.
CONCACAF president Victor Montagliani is regarded as a potential challenger, although the final field remains unsettled ahead of the November 18 deadline for candidates to declare their intentions.
The emerging contest is therefore becoming more than a disagreement over one commercial proposal. It is developing into a powerful test of FIFA’s leadership model, the authority of its president and the relationship between the global governing body and the confederations that make up world football.
For now, Trump has made his position unmistakable. While several major football bodies are questioning Infantino’s future, the US president believes removing him would be a serious error.
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The coming months will determine whether that political backing can counter the growing institutional resistance before FIFA’s 2027 presidential election.
