President Donald Trump is handing out a big red card to FIFA’s bosses, warning soccer’s top execs they’d be out of their minds to dump embattled president Gianni Infantino.
Taking to Truth Social, Trump went to bat for Infantino, who faces an all-out revolt from global soccer leaders after a disastrous scheme to sell off a chunk of the men’s World Cup to private equity investors.
“FIFA would be making a terrible mistake if, for any reason, they even considered replacing President Gianni Infantino,” Trump posted.
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“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!”
Trump has is on the money concerning, well, the money.
US President Donald Trump and FIFA president (Fédération Internationale de Football Association) Gianni Infantino talk in the Oval office of the White House after signing an executive order for a task force related to the FIFA World Cup, in Washington, DC, on March 7, 2025 (Jim WATSON / AFP)
President Donald Trump speaks alongside FIFA President Gianni Infantino at a FIFA reception at Trump Tower in New York City on July 17, 2026. (Andrew Harnik/Reuters)
The 2026 World Cup across America was a total monster as it packed stadiums and smashed revenue records. Say what you want, but nobody puts on a sports spectacle quite like the USA.
Yet the president’s defense comes as Infantino’s internal trouble reaches a boiling point.
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The Swiss-Italian soccer boss ignited a firestorm by proposing a commercial entity dubbed FIFA Forward Enterprise, which would sell private investors a 20% stake in World Cup commercial rights for a $4.2 billion payday.
For that, Infantino got slammed.
Soccer’s power brokers wanted no part of it. Leaders across Europe, Asia and North America rejected the deal, accusing Infantino of trying to quietly sell off the sport’s crown jewels. He quickly scrapped the proposal and apologized, but the revolt was already rolling.
UEFA, the AFC and CONCACAF then unloaded on the FIFA boss, accusing him of deception and abandoning his duty. European leaders have even floated a boycott of FIFA events, while execs behind closed doors are plotting rival tournaments that could leave Infantino on the outside looking in before the next election cycle.
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Then there’s the Trump factor.
Could Infantino’s close relationship with the president be adding even more fuel to the revolt?
UEFA General Secretary Gianni Infantino gives a press conference following a UEFA Executive meeting on October 15, 2015 at the European football’s governing body headquarters in Nyon. UEFA President Michel Platini will get a strong indication of the level of support from the organisation he heads after he was suspended for 90 days by FIFA’s ethics committee looking into corruption at the global football body. AFP PHOTO / FABRICE COFFRINI (Photo credit should read FABRICE COFFRINI/AFP/Getty Images)
Trump, who was firmly in Infantino’s corner throughout the World Cup, clearly sees the fight through a dollars-and-cents lens.
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Whether Infantino survives the red cards flying from every direction remains to be seen.
But Trump has picked his side — and he’s warning FIFA that dumping Infantino could come with one hell of a price tag.
Send us your thoughts: [email protected] / Follow along on X: @alejandroaveela
