Trump Warns FIFA Over Gianni Infantino Exit Amid Growing Revolt

Donald Trump has stepped into FIFA’s leadership crisis with a blunt warning: removing Gianni Infantino would be a “terrible mistake.”

The US president delivered his strongest public defence of the FIFA chief yet as pressure continues to build around the governing body’s abandoned commercial restructuring plans.

Trump wrote on social media that FIFA should not even consider replacing Infantino, arguing that the Swiss administrator had overseen the “most successful World Cup” ever.

The intervention lands at a sensitive point for FIFA. UEFA, Concacaf and the Asian Football Confederation have accused Infantino of breaking trust through “deception” over the proposed FIFA Forward Enterprise, adding fresh pressure on his position.

Why Infantino Is Under Pressure

The FIFA Forward Enterprise plan would bring commercial rights and tournament operations under a new FIFA-controlled company. FIFA says the proposal could raise up to $4.2 billion from minority investors, based on an initial $20 billion valuation.

That proposal has triggered a fierce backlash across European football. UEFA has argued that football’s major competitions should not be treated as assets available for outside investors, while other confederations have also raised concerns about the process.

The controversy has another politically sensitive angle. Thrive Eternal, founded by Joshua Kushner, was expected to be involved in the investor group. Kushner is the brother of Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law.

That connection has added another layer to an already uncomfortable debate.

Trump backs Infantino despite the growing revolt, insisting FIFA’s fortunes would suffer if the president were removed.

Infantino’s supporters can point to the 2026 World Cup, staged across the United States, Canada and Mexico, as a major commercial success. Spain won the tournament after beating Argentina in the final.

But the bigger question now sits inside FIFA itself. Can Infantino survive the backlash over FFE, and can the organisation rebuild trust with its powerful confederations?

The FIFA president Gianni Infantino crisis is therefore far from settled. Trump’s intervention may strengthen Infantino politically, but it also puts the dispute under an even brighter spotlight.

For FIFA, the next move could prove decisive.