Rabat – FIFA President Gianni Infantino is reportedly seeking support from the administration of US President Donald Trump as he faces mounting pressure following the collapse of a major deal that aimed to sell World Cup shares to private investors.
The New York Post reported that Infantino made several unsuccessful attempts to reach Trump by phone. Infantino also arranged a conversation with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, officially presented as a discussion on football’s role as a tool of American soft power.
However, the report suggested that the move was also intended to strengthen Infantino’s position as criticism grows within FIFA over the failure of a multi-billion-dollar investment project.
According to converging reports, the proposed plan involved creating a new company to manage FIFA’s future commercial rights. Around 20% of the company’s shares were expected to be sold to private equity firm Thrive Capital for more than $4 billion.
The proposal was ultimately abandoned after facing strong opposition from several member associations and football clubs, dealing a significant blow to one of Infantino’s key commercial initiatives.
The report added that the collapse of the project has left the FIFA president increasingly isolated within the organization’s leadership, fueling criticism over the federation’s commercial strategy and raising questions about his future ahead of the next FIFA presidential election.
Although the next presidential term is scheduled to cover the 2027-2031 cycle, discussions over FIFA’s leadership have reportedly intensified following the failed investment plan.
