U.S. President Donald Trump has expressed strong support for FIFA President Gianni Infantino, stating that removing him from his position would be a significant error. Trump praised Infantino’s leadership, particularly highlighting the success of the recent World Cup under his guidance, calling him “fantastic.”
This endorsement from Trump comes in response to a joint statement issued by UEFA, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), and CONCACAF criticizing Infantino’s actions regarding a proposed sale of a stake in the World Cup’s commercial rights. The statement raised concerns about trust being broken through deception and emphasized the need for an independent review of the situation.
In a separate development, Prime Minister Mark Carney also expressed doubts about Infantino’s leadership following recent events related to the proposed sale of World Cup rights. Infantino had faced backlash for his plan to sell a portion of the commercial rights to private investors, including connections to Thrive Capital, co-founded by Joshua Kushner, brother of Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law.
UEFA, backed by AFC and CONCACAF, has threatened to boycott FIFA events until assurances are given that similar schemes will not be proposed in the future. The football bodies emphasized the importance of leadership serving the football community and called for transparency and accountability in the review of recent decisions.
Despite the criticism, Infantino has garnered support from some federations, including Africa’s CAF and several South American nations. FIFA, in response to the backlash against Infantino, defended his leadership and cautioned against efforts to undermine his position through non-democratic means.
While some federations have expressed confidence in Infantino, others, including UEFA, have raised concerns about his leadership. The situation remains divided among different confederations, with varying levels of support for the FIFA President.