BY NADIA NTIAMOAH
US President Donald Trump has entered into the growing dispute surrounding FIFA President Gianni Infantino, warning the world football governing body that removing the embattled president would be a “terrible mistake” as opposition to his controversial commercial investment proposal continues to intensify.
Trump’s intervention comes at a critical moment for Infantino, who is facing mounting pressure from major football confederations following the collapse of plans to establish FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE), a proposed commercial subsidiary that would have managed the commercial and ticketing rights of FIFA competitions, including the World Cup.
Under the abandoned proposal, 21% of the new company was expected to be sold to a private investment group, with Thrive Eternal, an American venture capital firm founded by Joshua Kushner, expected to lead the proposed investor consortium. Joshua Kushner is the brother of Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law.
The proposal has triggered a serious confrontation between FIFA’s leadership and several powerful football organisations. UEFA, CONCACAF and the Asian Football Confederation have accused Infantino of undermining trust through what they described as deceptive conduct surrounding the FFE plans.
Trump’s latest comments represent his strongest public defence of Infantino since details of the proposed investment structure emerged on July 28.
In a social media post, the US president argued that FIFA would be making a major error if it considered replacing the Swiss-Italian administrator.
“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.”
Trump’s intervention is significant because the 2026 World Cup was co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico, with Spain eventually lifting the trophy after defeating Argentina in the final.
The tournament was the first edition of the expanded 48-team World Cup and represented a major commercial and organisational undertaking for FIFA and its host nations.
However, the success of the tournament has not prevented Infantino from coming under pressure over the proposed restructuring of FIFA’s commercial operations.
When the FFE proposal was first publicly addressed by Trump on July 31, he said he had not spoken to Infantino about the plans. His latest intervention therefore marks a more direct expression of support for the FIFA president amid the intensifying institutional dispute.
The opposition to Infantino has been driven particularly by European football authorities, with UEFA and other confederations raising concerns about the proposed involvement of private investors in FIFA’s commercial activities.
The investment plan has now become a wider debate about the ownership, governance and future commercial direction of world football, with questions being raised over whether the sport’s most valuable competitions should have private investment interests involved in their commercial structures.
For Infantino, Trump’s backing provides significant political and public support at a time when his leadership is facing unprecedented scrutiny from sections of the international football establishment.
The FIFA president must now navigate the fallout from the failed FFE proposal while attempting to maintain support among the organisation’s 211 member associations.
The coming weeks could prove crucial for Infantino as football’s governing bodies continue to debate the future of FIFA’s commercial model and, increasingly, the direction of its leadership.
