Donald Trump steps up to support Gianni Infantino, who is under pressure as head of FIFA

US President Donald Trump asserted Monday evening that FIFA would be making a "terrible mistake" if it replaced its president, Gianni Infantino, whom he described as having led "the most successful World Cup ever." Heavily criticized by several continental confederations after the failed attempt to open the organization to private investors, the Italian-Swiss leader is seeking allies.

Donald Trump to the rescue. The American president unequivocally defended FIFA president Gianni Infantino on Monday evening, who has been in turmoil for several weeks following his failed attempt to "sell" the World Cup to private investors.

"FIFA would be making a terrible mistake if, for any reason, it were to consider even for a moment replacing its president Gianni Infantino," he wrote on Truth Social, calling him "terrific."

The American president thus reaffirms his close relationship with the Italian-Swiss, from whom he received a "FIFA Peace Prize" created for him in December 2025, and from whom he successfully requested a review of the red card targeting the American Folarin Balogun during the 2026 World Cup.

"He has a duty of service to the football family": the confederations take a stand

He "has just presided over the most successful World Cup," held in June-July in the United States, Mexico and Canada, Donald Trump claimed, adding that if he left, "the competition would never again be so successful or so profitable," ignoring the numerous controversies that have plagued the event.

Gianni Infantino, a candidate to succeed himself as head of FIFA, has been mired in a crisis since the disclosure of his controversial and ultimately abandoned plan to open FIFA to private investors.

Determined to see him leave the head of FIFA, the European (UEFA), North American (Concacaf) and Asian (AFC) confederations published earlier on Monday a joint open letter to world football, which is deeply divided on the outcome of the crisis.

"Football does not belong to any individual" and "leadership (...) is not about holding - or demanding - power to be retained. It is a duty of service to the football family," they argued.

Without ever mentioning Gianni Infantino, they thus swept aside his attempts to save his throne, he who just a few weeks ago seemed to be heading towards a quiet re-election in March 2027, after a World Cup 2026 more lucrative than ever with nearly $15 billion in revenue generated.

UEFA, Concacaf and AFC have stated that they were not at all convinced by the letter sent last Wednesday by FIFA to its 211 federations, which acknowledged "errors" in the secretive development of a commercial company project that was ultimately abandoned under pressure.

"There is still no admission that attempting to cede a stake in the FIFA World Cup constituted a serious lapse in judgment, (...) a fundamental breach of trust in the very institutions that FIFA exists to serve," they lamented.

The Balogun case... When Trump interferes in FIFA's affairs

After two weeks of crisis, Gianni Infantino thus regains the support of Donald Trump, in addition to that of the African and South American confederations, as well as Mexico, which has publicly deviated from the Concacaf line.

The two other organizers of the 2026 World Cup, the United States and Canada, supported on Monday afternoon on X the demand "for significant changes strengthening the governance of FIFA".

Since his arrival in 2016, Gianni Infantino had always stood firm against criticism, whether it concerned the organization of the World Cups in Russia or Qatar, the awarding of the 2034 World Cup to Saudi Arabia, the expansion from 32 to 48 teams, the creation of a new Club World Cup, the introduction of "cooling breaks" transformed into advertising spaces, or recently the Folarin Balogun affair.

As a reminder, the US player was sent off during the round of 32 of the 2026 World Cup before having his suspension for the following match commuted to a suspended sentence by FIFA's disciplinary committee, after Mr. Trump asked Mr. Infantino to review the red card, which he considered unjustified. Mr. Infantino, however, maintained that the federation's bodies were independent.