Trump expresses strong support for FIFA's Infantino: 'He delivered the most successful World Cup in history'

The President doubles down on Truth Social: 'It would be a terrible mistake to replace him'

The crisis in FIFA has reached the White House. President Donald Trump came out this Monday in defense of Gianni Infantino just as the institutional building of world football is beginning to crack around him.

The trigger came hours earlier. UEFA, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and Concacaf issued a joint statement in which they put the FIFA president on the ropes. The reason: a project to restructure the World Cup calendar that Infantino launched without the approval of the corresponding bodies.

The controversy forced the Swiss official to withdraw the proposal, but the damage had already been done. The three confederations spoke of a "breach of trust" and bluntly called for a change in the leadership of the organization.

Trump comes to the rescue

That was when Trump decided to make his move. Through his Truth Social account, the U.S. president wrote:

"FIFA would be making a terrible mistake if, for any reason, it were to consider replacing President Gianni Infantino. He is fantastic, and has just presided over the most successful World Cup ever held, by four times. If he goes, it will never again be as successful or profitable. Thank you for your attention to this matter. President DJT"

A friendship tested by crises

It is not the first time that Trump has come to Infantino’s defense. The two have cultivated a close relationship since the organization of the 2026 World Cup, which was held between the United States, Mexico, and Canada. Infantino himself presented Trump with the newly invented "FIFA Nobel Peace Prize" during the tournament draw, and invited him to take part in the trophy presentation ceremony at the final.

However, the relationship has not always been a two-way street: in May, Trump publicly distanced himself from Infantino by criticizing dynamic World Cup ticket pricing, saying that he would not pay for them either.

Despite Trump's backing, the pressure on the Swiss man keeps growing. This is the moment of greatest political fragility he has experienced since assuming the FIFA presidency, with three of the most powerful confederations in world football aligned against him. The standoff between Zurich and Washington, for now, remains open.