Gianni Infantino goes running to Donald Trump for help as FIFA boss on brink
Gianni Infantino goes running to Donald Trump for help as FIFA boss on brink
Joshua Mbu Mon, August 3, 2026 at 1:07 PM UTC
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Gianni Infantino will seek the support of Donald Trump amid pressure over his FIFA Presidency -Credit:Getty
Underfire FIFA boss Gianni Infantino will go running to pal Donald Trump, with his position on the brink after trying to sell off shares in the World Cup and other tournaments.
President Infantino had proposed creating a new entity, FIFA Forward Enterprise, to bring together FIFA's commercial rights and tournament operations, while offering member associations a $40 million incentive to support the overhaul. However, the plans faced fierce opposition from UEFA, CONCACAF, and the Asian Football Confederation, prompting Infantino to abandon the controversial proposal to sell a stake in future World Cup revenues to private equity investors.
A growing number of national football associations are now considering formally withdrawing their backing for Infantino to increase pressure on him to step down, with several announcements expected in the coming days.
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Before last week's turmoil, all but five of UEFA's 55 member associations — Germany, Romania, Norway, Denmark, and Sweden — had publicly endorsed his bid for reelection next March. Now, according to Give Me Sport, Infantino is due to meet with senior members of the Trump administration as he looks to shore up backing for his leadership of FIFA.
The FIFA President has also been contacting national federations to seek public endorsements, as calls for his resignation continue to gain momentum. Infantino and Trump grew close as the 2026 FIFA World Cup neared, with the U.S. President winning the inaugural FIFA Peace Prize award months before going to war with Iran.
Infantino staged several visits to Trump in the run-up to the World Cup to promote the tournament, and also wore a MAGA-style hat. The pair watched their first World Cup game together in July’s final between Argentina and Spain.
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Infantino has been forced to perform an embarrassing U-turn -Credit:Getty Images
Infantino could only watch as Trump gatecrashed Spain’s World Cup trophy celebrations, after the team defeated defending champion Argentina 1-0 inside MetLife Stadium.
The proposal to sell shares under FIFA Forward Enterprise, which would’ve seen Infantino earn $30 million a year in salary, should the plans come to fruition and Infantino be placed in charge, proved to be the straw that broke the camel’s back, with frustration already at a high post-World Cup.
Joshua Kushner, the brother of Trump’s son-in-law Jared, was reportedly the kingpin in driving the sale of the World Cup to investors.
The Kushners’ reported involvement and close ties to Trump made the U.S. President’s comments last week, distancing himself from the plans, surprising.
“No, I never spoke to him,” Trump said when asked about the proposal at Camp David late last month.
Still, despite a few hiccups, underscored by Folarin Balogun’s controversial red card being suspended following Trump’s personal call to Infantino, or Iran being forced to relocate their base camp to Tijuana amid the ongoing conflict, the U.S. President hailed the tournament as a tremendous success.
The tournament generated a record $15 billion windfall.
“It turned out we were a soccer country, and I think it’s going to remain,” Trump said. “This has really brought the world together.”
Source: “AOL Sports”
