U.S. President Donald Trump warned FIFA on August 10 that replacing President Gianni Infantino would be a severe mistake. Trump praised Infantino’s leadership following a successful World Cup, as Infantino separately faced intense international pressure and failed efforts to secure backing from Washington.
U.S. President Donald Trump issued a strong endorsement of FIFA President Gianni Infantino, declaring that any move by football’s global governing body to replace him would constitute a severe mistake, according to Yicai. Trump described Infantino as exceptional, asserting that he had just overseen the most successful World Cup in history, with a success level four times greater than past tournaments.
Trump further cautioned that if Infantino were to leave office, the World Cup would never again achieve the same level of success or profitability, as reported by Yicai. The presidential backing arrives at a critical juncture for the FIFA chief, who has been navigating a turbulent period marked by internal dissent and failed commercial strategies.
Political Outreach and Stalled Calls to Washington
Facing escalating pressure to resign from global football associations and internal critics, Infantino previously sought assistance from the Trump administration to protect his position, according to a report by the New York Post cited by Sohu. Following the collapse of a plan to sell a portion of FIFA’s commercial rights—a proposal that triggered near-unanimous backlash from global football associations and subsequent withdrawals of support—Infantino felt isolated.
According to multiple people familiar with the matter referenced by Sohu, Infantino made repeated attempts to call President Trump following the collapse of his commercial sales plan, but his calls went unanswered. Cut off from direct communication with the White House, Infantino pivoted his strategy toward U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, hoping to frame football as a tool of American soft power to secure Washington’s backing for his continued tenure.
CCTV International News reported on August 3 that Infantino was scheduled for a private discussion with Secretary of State Rubio later that same day. However, the U.S.
He wanted to call the secretary, to explore how football could be a soft power tool for America. But it was understood that this was essentially to save his own job. Anonymous source, as reported by Sohu and CCTV International News
The Fallout from the Privatization Controversy and Global Pushback
The intense political lobbying effort stemmed directly from widespread fallout over what media outlets termed the FIFA privatization scheme. The New York Post originally broke the story regarding Infantino’s initiative to market commercial rights, a move that collapsed after facing fierce resistance from football associations worldwide, according to Sohu.
The ensuing controversy led multiple regional associations to pull back their endorsements, leaving Infantino vulnerable to institutional and administrative challenges. While Infantino’s initial outreach to the State Department failed to secure the desired administrative intervention to preserve his post, President Trump’s subsequent public remarks on August 10 provided the high-profile endorsement the FIFA leader had been seeking amid the mounting negative public opinion.
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