US President Donald Trump publicly supported FIFA President Gianni Infantino on August 10, calling it a "terrible mistake" to replace him and praising Infantino as "fantastic" for presiding over the most successful World Cup ever, which was four times more profitable than previous tournaments [1, 2]. Trump posted his support on Truth Social as FIFA came under fire over a plan called FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE), a failed proposal to sell about 20% of FIFA's commercial rights to private investors for an estimated $4.2 billion, valuing the scheme at $20 billion [3, 4, 5].
Infantino, 56, faced strong backlash after the FFE plan leaked to the public on July 28, sparking criticism from major football bodies including UEFA, AFC, and CONCACAF. These federations issued a joint open letter accusing Infantino of "deception" and demanded an independent investigation into the failed rights sale [6, 7, 8]. The letter stated: "Leadership in football is not a possession... When trust is broken through deception... that duty has been abandoned" [6].
At the same time, FIFA leadership publicly backed Infantino on August 8, calling the backlash an effort to undermine the organization [1, 2]. Other football confederations such as the Confederation of African Football (CAF) and CONMEBOL from South America also expressed support for Infantino's continuation [1, 9].
In contrast to Trump's stance and some federations' backing, US Soccer, Canada Soccer, and several Central American and Caribbean bodies criticized Infantino and called for change [1, 10]. Some parties hope Infantino will give a dignified resignation before the upcoming FIFA presidential election instead of seeking re-election [7, 10].
The 2026 World Cup co-hosted by the US, Canada, and Mexico generated a record $9 billion in revenue. Spain won the tournament shortly before the controversy unfolded [3, 4, 11]. Infantino received the FIFA Peace Prize and met with Trump during World Cup events [9, 8].
Following the backlash, the FFE plan was formally abandoned and Infantino apologized for the scheme’s mistakes [6, 5, 8]. FIFA’s next presidential election is scheduled for March 2027, with Infantino expected to seek a fourth and final term amid growing opposition [1, 8]. A deadline of November 18, 2026, has been set for candidates to declare their candidacy [9].
Football bodies led by UEFA are reportedly considering rival tournaments and boycotts should Infantino remain as president [6, 8]. Trump’s vocal endorsement and FIFA leadership’s backing mark a sharp divide across the sport’s governance over Infantino’s future.
