Trump warns FIFA against ousting Infantino amid World Cup sales crisis

President Donald Trump inserted himself into a growing crisis atop world soccer on Monday, warning that FIFA would make a "terrible mistake" if it moved to oust president Gianni Infantino, who faces mounting pressure from three major confederations over a failed plan to sell a stake in the World Cup to private investors.

"FIFA would be making a terrible mistake if, for any reason, they even considered replacing President Gianni Infantino," Trump posted on Truth Social. "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!"espn+1

Confederations Accuse Infantino of "Deception"

Trump's intervention came hours after UEFA, CONCACAF, and the Asian Football Confederation issued a joint open letter to the "football family" declaring that Infantino's aborted FIFA Forward Enterprise proposal — which would have sold roughly 20% of World Cup commercial rights to private investors for $4.2 billion — constituted "a fundamental breach of trust".skysports+1

"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 letter stated. Though Infantino was not named directly, sources told the BBC the letter should be interpreted as a call for him to resign.aljazeera+1

Infantino apologized for the proposal after UEFA threatened to boycott all FIFA competitions, but the three confederations rejected his framing of it as a procedural misstep. "There remains no recognition that attempting to sell an interest in the FIFA World Cup was a profound failure of judgment," the letter read.skysports

Political Entanglement

Trump's support for Infantino puts the U.S. president at odds with U.S. Soccer, which issued a separate statement Monday alongside Canada Soccer, the Caribbean Football Union, and UNCAF calling for reforms to FIFA's governance and transparency.espn+1

The relationship between the two men has drawn scrutiny. Infantino awarded Trump the inaugural "FIFA Peace Prize" in December 2025, and the pair attended the World Cup final together last month. The venture capital firm expected to lead the proposed investment group, Thrive Eternal, was founded by Joshua Kushner, the brother of Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner.bbc+2

What Comes Next

CONCACAF president Victor Montagliani is viewed as a potential challenger to Infantino, who must declare his candidacy for a fourth term by November 18 ahead of the FIFA Congress in March 2027. Preliminary discussions among the three confederations regarding breakaway tournaments have taken place should Infantino remain in power, according to the BBC. Individual member associations — not confederations — vote in FIFA's presidential election, and Infantino retains support from the Confederation of African Football and largely from South America's CONMEBOL.aljazeera+1