US President Donald Trump has warned that FIFA would be making a “terrible mistake” if it ousted under-pressure president Gianni Infantino, throwing his public weight behind the embattled leader as major football confederations move to break trust and threaten boycotts.
The intervention comes days after three powerful bodies-UEFA, CONCACAF and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), issued a joint open letter accusing Infantino of breaking trust “through deception” over his now-abandoned FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) proposal.
The plan would have created a new company to manage commercial and ticketing rights across all FIFA competitions, including the World Cup, with 21% earmarked for sale to a private investment group.
Trump’s remarks mark his first public defence of Infantino since the controversial FFE plans came to light on 28 July.
“FIFA would be making a terrible mistake if, for any reason, they even considered replacing president Gianni Infantino,” Trump posted on social media.
“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 2026 World Cup was co-hosted this summer by the United States, Canada and Mexico, with Spain defeating Argentina in the final to claim the title.
On 31 July, when addressing the FFE proposals for the first time, Trump confirmed he had not spoken directly to Infantino about the plans. The investor group lined up to lead the FFE was Thrive Eternal, an American venture capital firm founded by Joshua Kushner, brother of Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law.
The ties between the two men run deep: Infantino awarded Trump the inaugural Fifa Peace Prize in December 2025.
The crisis erupted publicly after FIFA itself claimed there was a “concerted and ongoing effort” to undermine both the organisation and its president.
In response, the three confederations issued their sharp rebuke. Though the letter did not name Infantino explicitly, sources told BBC Sport it was clearly directed at him and intended as a signal he should step down “with dignity”.
“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 stated.
UEFA has since threatened to boycott all FIFA competitions and warned it may pursue legal action over the scrapped FFE scheme, which FIFA formally abandoned on 1 August.
BBC Sport also reports that preliminary discussions have taken place between UEFA, CONCACAF and the AFC about the possibility of launching breakaway competitions should Infantino remain in office, though sources stress substantive negotiations have not yet begun.
