President Donald Trump warned FIFA on Truth Social that it would be a “terrible mistake” to remove Gianni Infantino as president, the report said. Trump wrote that Infantino is “fantastic” and that the World Cup would “never be as successful or profitable again” if he were gone.
The warning comes as Infantino faces a backlash over a proposal called FIFA Forward Enterprise that would have sold a 20% stake in World Cup commercial rights for $4.2 billion, the report said. The plan was widely criticized and was later scrapped and followed by an apology from Infantino, according to the report.
UEFA, the Asian Football Confederation and CONCACAF rejected the proposal and accused Infantino of deception and of abandoning his duty, the report said. European officials have discussed boycotts of FIFA events, and some executives have been reported to be planning rival tournaments, according to the report.
The report also noted that Trump had been publicly supportive of Infantino during the recent World Cup, calling the 2026 tournament across the United States highly successful and saying it set revenue records. Trump framed his defense in terms of the event’s commercial success, the report said.
Infantino’s standing within FIFA remains uncertain as leaders weigh the fallout, and Trump’s public intervention adds a political element to the dispute, the report said.
Jon Ross Myers is the executive editor and publisher of the Mississippi News Network, Mississippi's largest digital only media company. He can be reached at editor@tippahnews.com
