FIFA’s Infantino turns to Trump admin as ouster push grows

FIFA President Gianni Infantino has scheduled a private call with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Monday morning, seeking the Trump administration's backing as he faces growing pressure to resign over his failed attempt to sell World Cup commercial rights to private investors, the New York Post reported.nypost

A Call for "Soft Power" — and Job Protection

Two sources familiar with the matter told the New York Post that Infantino will hold the call with Rubio just after 9 a.m. ET. "He wanted to get online with the secretary and talk about how soccer can be a form of soft power for America," one insider said. "But we all know that it is about job protection. It is not about anything else at this point."westernpost+1

A second source described the Swiss-Italian football chief as feeling "isolated" by the avalanche of negative coverage and said he is "looking for allies of note to publicly support him." Sources also told the Post that Infantino has repeatedly tried and failed to reach President Donald Trump by phone since his privatization plan collapsed on Friday.nypost+1

The Deal That Unraveled

Infantino's crisis traces back to his secret proposal, first reported by The Times of London, to spin off FIFA's broadcasting, sponsorship, licensing, and ticketing rights into a new subsidiary called FIFA Forward Enterprise. Thrive Capital, the private equity firm run by Josh Kushner — the younger brother of Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner — was expected to acquire a 20 percent stake for just over $4 billion.westernpost+1

The plan sparked fury among football federations worldwide, many of whom said they learned about it through the media. FIFA Chief Operating Officer Kevin Lamour told the Associated Press on Friday that he felt "deceived" by Infantino's actions. ESPN reported that Infantino scrapped the proposal late Friday after widespread backlash.espn+2

UEFA Boycott and Internal Revolt

UEFA, European football's governing body, voted unanimously 55-0 on July 30 to boycott all FIFA-organized competitions, including the 2030 men's World Cup in Spain, Portugal, and Morocco. The decision raised the possibility of two host nations missing their own tournament and depriving the competition of stars such as Real Madrid's Kylian Mbappé and Barcelona's Lamine Yamal.nytimes+1

Within FIFA itself, officials have launched what one executive described to the Post as "Project Kill The Monster" — a movement to remove Infantino from the presidency. Whether Rubio's intervention can stem the tide remains to be seen.westernpost