President Donald Trump has come to the defense of FIFA president Gianni Infantino amid criticism of Infantino’s management of a controversial plan to sell a stake in the World Cup. Trump cautioned soccer federations against making a “terrible mistake” by attempting to oust Infantino.
In a post on Truth Social late Monday, Trump asserted that FIFA would “never reach the same level of success or profitability” without Infantino at the helm.
“It would be a catastrophic error for FIFA to even consider replacing President Gianni Infantino for any reason,” Trump stated.
“He has displayed exceptional leadership, overseeing the most successful World Cup in history. The organization’s success and profitability will decline if he is removed. Thank you for considering this issue. President DJT.”
On Monday, confederations from Europe, North America, and Asia issued an “open letter to the football family”, expressing that Infantino’s unsuccessful commercial proposal for the World Cup constituted a “fundamental breach of trust” with the global governing body of the sport.
UEFA, Concacaf, and the AFC emphasized that “when trust is undermined through deceptive actions, and an individual places personal interest above the collective that empowered them, the duty has been forsaken.”
“Football is the world’s greatest shared passion. It belongs not to any single individual or institution, but to the players, supporters, clubs, member associations, and all entities dedicated to preserving its future. Speaking as representatives of our members, we collectively express this sentiment today,” the letter asserted.
Additionally, U.S. Soccer, a member of Concacaf, released a statement in support of Concacaf on the same day.
“U.S. Soccer, Canada Soccer, CFU (Caribbean Football Union), and UNCAF (Central American Football Union) stand united with our global counterparts in advocating for substantial reforms that enhance FIFA’s governance, transparency, and accountability,” the statement declared.
Infantino has expressed regret for his proposal to establish FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE), a company designed to manage the commercial and operational aspects of FIFA’s tournaments, which included plans to sell up to 20% to private investors.
The letter from the three soccer federations called for an independent review of Infantino’s initiative, avoiding directly naming the Swiss executive.
“A proposal rushed through without meaningful consultation and pressed toward a deadline before member associations could adequately evaluate its terms is not an oversight—it’s a strategy to limit scrutiny,” the letter stated.
“The proposal did not acknowledge that its very concept was deeply flawed. There has been no recognition that attempting to sell a stake in the FIFA World Cup represented a serious lapse in judgment—not merely a procedural error, but a fundamental breach of trust with the institutions FIFA is meant to serve.”
UEFA noted last week that its members could still consider boycotting FIFA competitions, including the World Cup, despite Infantino’s apologies regarding his ill-fated proposal to sell shares in the tournament.
Infantino has held the position of FIFA president since he was first elected on February 26, 2016, and his current term runs through 2027. He has announced plans to seek reelection to extend his tenure until 2031.
Information from The Associated Press contributed to this report.