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Alvino Hanafi

Donald Trump throws weight behind Gianni Infantino as FIFA president faces 'deception' allegations

World Cup

United States President Donald Trump has waded into the growing crisis at the top of world football, throwing his weight behind under-fire FIFA President Gianni Infantino. The intervention comes as global confederations step up their efforts to remove the Swiss executive following a controversial and failed commercial power grab.

  • Trump issues warning to football federations

    President Trump has issued a stern warning to the global football community, stating that FIFA would be committing a "terrible mistake" if they were to move forward with plans to replace Infantino. The U.S. President used his social media platform to defend the embattled FIFA chief, arguing that the governing body’s recent financial and operational successes are directly tied to Infantino’s leadership and vision for the game.

    In a direct post published on Monday night, Trump claimed that FIFA "would never be as successful or profitable" without the presence of the current president at the helm. He wrote: "FIFA would be making a terrible mistake if, for any reason, they even considered replacing President Gianni Infantino. He is fantastic, having just presided over the most successful World Cup, by four times, ever presented.

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    Backlash over the FIFA Forward Enterprise

    The support from the White House arrives at a time when Infantino is facing unprecedented opposition from the sport's most powerful regional bodies. UEFA, CONCACAF, and the AFC released a scathing joint statement, describing a breach of trust through deception regarding a proposal to sell off commercial rights.

    The confederations expressed their outrage in an open letter, stating that "when trust is broken through deception, when an individual places himself above the collective that entrusted him with authority, that duty has been abandoned." The letter further emphasized that football belongs to the players, fans, and member associations rather than any single individual.


  • U.S. Soccer joins the call for change

    Despite Trump’s personal backing of Infantino, U.S. Soccer has aligned itself with the critics, joining Canada Soccer and other regional unions in demanding significant reform within the governing body. In a statement released on Monday, the American federation called for "meaningful change that strengthens FIFA's governance, transparency and accountability." This puts the domestic governing body at odds with the political rhetoric coming from the U.S. presidency.

    The criticism centers on the lack of consultation regarding the FFE project, which was reportedly pushed through on a compressed timeline to avoid scrutiny.

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    Infantino’s apology and future prospects

    Infantino has offered an apology for the way the FFE proposal was handled, but for many within the European and Asian associations, the gesture has come too late. UEFA had previously suggested that its member nations could boycott FIFA competitions, including the World Cup, if the commercial plans moved forward.

    The Swiss executive has been in power since February 2016 and currently intends to stay in his role for several more years. His current term is set to run until 2027, and he has already indicated his desire to seek re-election to extend his presidency until 2031.