Trump Warns Against Removing Infantino at FIFA

US President Donald Trump has said it would be a “terrible mistake” to remove Fifa president Gianni Infantino, adding his support after football’s regional governing bodies publicly criticised the under-pressure leader.

Trump’s intervention came after Uefa, Concacaf and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) released an open letter accusing Infantino of breaching trust “through deception” over an aborted Fifa Forward Enterprise (FFE) proposal. The plan was intended to restructure the management of major Fifa commercial activity and match ticketing rights.

Under the FFE concept, a new company would have been created to oversee commercial and ticketing rights for all Fifa competitions, including the men’s World Cups. The proposal also involved selling 21% of that new company to a private investment firm as part of the plan.

Trump said his backing signalled opposition to calls for change at the top of Fifa, with Infantino facing pressure since the FFE details emerged on 28 July. He wrote on social media: “Fifa would be making a terrible mistake if, for any reason, they even considered replacing president Gianni Infantino.”

“Fifa would be making a terrible mistake” for any move to replace him, Trump continued, describing Infantino as “fantastic” and arguing that the Swiss official had overseen the “most successful World Cup, by four times” compared with prior tournaments. Trump added: “If he is gone, it will never be as successful or profitable again.”

Heading into the new cycle for the sport, the 2026 World Cup held this summer was co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico. Spain won the tournament, beating Argentina in the final.

Regional bodies accuse Infantino of deception

Uefa, Concacaf and the AFC said in their letter that they believed Infantino had acted in a way that broke trust through deception, linking their concerns directly to the stalled FFE initiative.

The FFE proposal has since become the focus of wider debate about Fifa governance and the way future commercial arrangements should be handled, with regional bodies calling into question the approach attributed to Infantino.

Trump’s comments marked his first public defence of Infantino since the FFE plans came to light earlier this month.

What the Fifa Forward Enterprise plan involved

Trump also previously addressed the FFE proposals for the first time on 31 July, saying he had not spoken to Infantino about the plans.

Thrive Eternal was expected to lead the investor group associated with the FFE proposal. Thrive is an American venture capital firm founded by Joshua Kushner, who is the brother of Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law.

The FFE plan would have placed the new company at the centre of rights management across Fifa events, including future World Cups. The intended 21% sale to a private investment company formed part of the commercial model described during the proposal’s early stages.

Relationship with Infantino

Infantino and Trump have maintained a close relationship. Infantino awarded Trump the inaugural Fifa Peace Prize in December 2025.

The current controversy places Infantino under scrutiny following the regional organisations’ open letter and the publicity surrounding the aborted FFE plan. Trump’s latest statement, delivered in the days after the FFE revelations, sought to push back against the idea of replacing him.

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11 August 2026