United States President Donald Trump has warned against any move to unseat FIFA President Gianni Infantino, describing efforts to remove him from office as a “terrible mistake” amid mounting pressure on the football governing body’s leadership.
Trump’s intervention comes after UEFA, Concacaf and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) accused FIFA’s leadership of breaking trust over a controversial investment proposal that has since been abandoned.
The proposed FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) would have created a new company to manage commercial and ticketing rights for FIFA competitions, including the World Cup, with 21 per cent reportedly earmarked for sale to a private investment company.
“FIFA would be making a terrible mistake if, for any reason, they even considered replacing president Gianni Infantino,” Trump said in a social media post.
He described Infantino as “fantastic” and credited him with overseeing what he called the most successful World Cup ever.
The 2026 World Cup was jointly hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico, with Spain defeating Argentina in the final.
Trump’s comments came as pressure continues to build around Infantino’s leadership. UEFA, Concacaf and the AFC recently issued a joint statement accusing FIFA of breaking trust through what they described as “deception”.
UEFA has also threatened to boycott FIFA competitions and consider legal action over the abandoned investment plan.
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Sources cited by BBC Sport said preliminary discussions had taken place among the three confederations about possible breakaway competitions if Infantino remains in office, although substantive talks have yet to begin.
Infantino has maintained a close relationship with Trump and presented him with FIFA’s inaugural Peace Prize in December 2025.
The controversy has also drawn attention to the proposed investor group, which was expected to be led by Thrive, a US venture capital firm founded by Joshua Kushner, brother of Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner.
While Trump’s backing is likely to strengthen Infantino’s position politically, its impact within world football remains uncertain as opposition from major confederations grows.
The dispute has emerged as one of the most serious challenges to Infantino’s leadership since he became FIFA president.
