Trump’s support for Infantino
US President Donald Trump has voiced strong support for FIFA president Gianni Infantino, stating that replacing him would be a “terrible mistake.” Trump’s backing comes amidst significant criticism of Infantino from various football confederations regarding his aborted FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) proposal.
Trump took to social media to defend Infantino, writing, “FIFA would be making a terrible mistake if, for any reason, they even considered replacing president Gianni Infantino.” He described Infantino as “fantastic,” highlighting his role in presiding over what Trump called the “most successful World Cup, by four times, ever presented.” The 2026 World Cup was co-hosted by the US, Canada, and Mexico.
The FFE proposal, which came to light on July 28, involved creating a new company to manage commercial and ticketing rights for all FIFA competitions, including World Cups. This plan included selling 21% of the company to a private investment firm. Thrive Eternal, an American venture capital firm founded by Joshua Kushner, was expected to lead the proposed investor group for FFE.
Confederations’ concerns over FFE proposal
Trump’s comments mark his first public defense of Infantino since the FFE plans became known. On July 31, when first addressing the FFE proposals, Trump stated he had not discussed the plans with Infantino.
The FFE proposal drew sharp criticism from UEFA, Concacaf, and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC). These confederations issued an open letter accusing Infantino of breaking trust “through deception.” They emphasized that football “belongs to no individual” and is a shared passion among players, fans, clubs, and member associations.
The joint letter from the confederations highlighted that the growth in football over the past decade was a collective achievement, involving FIFA, confederations, and member associations, not the work of one individual. They stressed that the issue was not about money or the expansion of competitions, but about the integrity of the game and its leadership. They asserted that leadership in football is a duty of service, not a possession.
The confederations criticized FIFA’s acknowledgment of mistakes in the FFE process as merely a “failure of communication,” arguing it was a “failure of judgement.” They pointed out that the proposal was advanced on a compressed timeline, without meaningful consultation, and pushed towards a deadline to limit scrutiny. They also noted that FIFA’s letter did not recognize that attempting to sell an interest in the FIFA World Cup was a profound failure of judgment and a fundamental breach of trust.
Calls for accountability and independent review
The confederations also raised concerns about the review process for these events. They stated that proper governance would require an independent third party to conduct such a review, not FIFA itself, its staff, or any stakeholder within football. They also highlighted that only one elected official was present at a leadership meeting in Morocco, with no FIFA Council members or member associations invited.
This meeting, where a select number of members of the FIFA management committee were summoned abroad instead of leadership going to Zurich, reinforced concerns about Infantino’s conduct. The confederations concluded their letter by stating, “there is silence where there should be accountability, distance where there should be openness.” They called for unity and leadership that serves football, rather than seeking to command it. Infantino will seek re-election at the FIFA presidential election in Rabat next March, with candidates required to be declared by November 18.
Source: bbc.com