United States President Donald Trump has defended FIFA President Gianni Infantino, saying it would be a “terrible mistake” for world football’s governing body to consider replacing him.
Trump made the remark on Monday in a post on Truth Social, where he praised Infantino’s leadership and described him as “fantastic.” He also claimed that FIFA had enjoyed unprecedented success under the Swiss administrator.
The statement comes as Infantino faces renewed criticism over a proposal that would have opened parts of FIFA competitions, including the World Cup, to private investment. The plan was later withdrawn following strong opposition from several football bodies.
In a joint letter released on Monday, UEFA, CONCACAF and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) accused Infantino of damaging trust within global football. The confederations argued that leadership should be exercised collectively and not treated as a personal possession.
Trump’s support contrasts with the position of US Soccer, which has joined other critics of the FIFA president.
Infantino is expected to seek a fourth and final term at the FIFA Congress scheduled for March 2027, with candidates required to declare by November 18, 2026.
CONCACAF president Victor Montagliani is being viewed as a possible challenger, although Infantino retains significant backing from the Confederation of African Football (CAF) and support from many South American associations.
A major turning point in the dispute came when UEFA threatened to boycott future World Cups if the private investment proposal proceeded. UEFA described the initiative as an opaque backroom arrangement and later criticised Infantino for what it called a failure of judgment.
FIFA has rejected accusations that its leadership is undermining the organisation, and Infantino reportedly received the support of senior FIFA officials during an emergency meeting in Morocco last week.
However, UEFA, CONCACAF and the AFC said that meeting did not address the underlying concerns. They insisted that the recent growth of world football, including the expansion of the World Cup to 48 teams, was the result of collective decisions by FIFA, the confederations and member associations rather than the achievement of one individual.
The three confederations said their position was taken not lightly, but out of a duty to protect the unity, transparency and accountability of the game.
