Casablanca– US President Donald Trump has publicly backed FIFA president Gianni Infantino, describing any attempt to remove him from office as a “terrible mistake” amid growing criticism from several of world football’s governing bodies.
Trump voiced his support in a post on social media after UEFA, Concacaf and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) jointly called into question Infantino’s leadership following the collapse of FIFA’s controversial FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) proposal.
“FIFA would be making a terrible mistake if, for any reason, they even considered replacing president Gianni Infantino,” Trump wrote.
“He is fantastic, having just presided over the most successful World Cup, by four times, ever presented. If he is gone, it will never be as successful or profitable again.”
The statement marks Trump’s first public comments on the controversy surrounding the FFE project, which proposed creating a separate company to manage FIFA’s commercial and ticketing rights, including the FIFA World Cup, with a minority stake sold to private investors.
The plan was later abandoned following widespread opposition from football stakeholders.
Earlier this week, UEFA, Concacaf and the AFC released an open letter accusing FIFA’s leadership of breaking trust over the proposal, arguing that major structural changes had been pursued without proper consultation.
The three confederations said the issue went beyond governance, describing it as a breach of confidence between FIFA and its member associations.
While the statement did not explicitly call for Infantino’s resignation, reports indicate that several football officials believe stepping down would be the appropriate response.
BBC Sport has also reported that preliminary discussions have taken place regarding the possibility of breakaway competitions should Infantino remain in office, although no formal plans have been announced.
Infantino has maintained strong ties with Trump in recent years, including awarding the US president the inaugural FIFA Peace Prize in December 2025.
The latest show of support comes as divisions within world football continue to deepen over FIFA’s governance and future direction.
