US President Donald Trump came to the defence of FIFA President Gianni Infantino, whose resignation has been called for by several continental confederations following his much-criticised and subsequently abandoned plan to open the organisation up to private investors.
The US president reaffirmed on Monday evening his close ties with the Italian-Swiss official, from whom he received a “FIFA Peace Prize” – created especially for him – in December 2025, and to whom he had successfully appealed during the 2026 World Cup to have a red card shown to a player on the US team reviewed.
“FIFA would be making a terrible mistake if, for any reason, they even considered replacing President Gianni Infantino,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. "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!"
Infantino has been embroiled in a crisis since the disclosure of his controversial – and ultimately abandoned – plan to open up FIFA to private investors.
Earlier on Monday, the European (UEFA), North American (CONCACAF) and Asian (AFC) confederations published a joint open letter addressed to the global football community, which is deeply divided over the outcome of the crisis.
They argued that football “belongs to no individual” and “leadership...is not about holding – or demanding – power to be held. It is a duty of service to the football family that entrusts it”.
Without ever mentioning Gianni Infantino by name, they dismissed his attempts to save his position, given that just a few weeks ago he still seemed set for a comfortable re-election in March 2027, following the lucrative 2026 World Cup, which generated nearly $15 billion in revenue.
UEFA, CONCACAF and the AFC stated that they were not in the least convinced by the letter sent last Wednesday by FIFA to its 211 member associations, which acknowledged “errors” in the secret drafting of a proposal for a commercial company that was ultimately abandoned under pressure.
"There remains no recognition that attempting to sell an interest in the FIFA World Cup was a profound failure of judgement – not just a procedural misstep, but a fundamental breach of trust with the very institutions FIFA exists to serve," they added.
After two weeks of crisis, Gianni Infantino has regained the support of Donald Trump, as well as that of the African and South American confederations and Mexico, which has publicly distanced itself from CONCACAF’s position.
The other two organisers of the 2026 World Cup, the United States and Canada, backed the call on Monday afternoon for “significant changes to strengthen FIFA’s governance”.
