‘FIFA would be making a terrible mistake’: Trump backs Infantino amid growing opposition

Washington:US President Donald Trump has thrown his weight behind FIFA president Gianni Infantino, warning that football’s world governing body would make a ‘terrible mistake’ if it considered replacing the Swiss administrator amid mounting opposition to his leadership.

Trump, in a post on Truth Social, praised Infantino for presiding over what he described as the ‘most successful World Cup’ and said the tournament would not be as successful or profitable without him.

“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. If he is gone, it will never be as successful or profitable again! Thank you for your attention to this matter. President DJT,” Trump posted.

Trump’s intervention comes at a time when Infantino is facing his strongest challenge yet from within the international football establishment.

UEFA, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and CONCACAF launched a fresh attack on the FIFA president on Monday, accusing him of breaking trust through ‘deception’ and placing himself above the collective after his controversial proposal to sell a stake in the commercial rights to the World Cup.

In an open letter to the football community, the three confederations stopped short of directly calling for Infantino’s resignation but demanded an independent investigation into the circumstances surrounding the now-abandoned proposal.

“Football’s strength has always been its unity. We call for that unity to be honoured now, for leadership that serves football, not seeks to command it,” the confederations said in an official statement released on Monday.

Infantino’s proposal involved selling 20 per cent of the World Cup’s commercial rights to private investors, aimed at raising around $4.2 billion. The plan triggered strong opposition, particularly in Europe, and was eventually abandoned.

UEFA, backed by AFC and CONCACAF, has also threatened to boycott FIFA tournaments unless it receives assurances that similar plans concerning commercial rights will not be pursued in the future.

“Leadership in football is not a possession. It is not about holding or demanding power to be held. It is a duty of service to the football family that entrusts it,” the three confederations said.

They also criticised an emergency FIFA meeting held in Morocco last week, claiming that only one elected official was present. The confederations called for a fully independent review, without FIFA involvement, into what they described as a ‘profound failure of judgement’.

The confrontation has intensified speculation over Infantino’s position ahead of the FIFA presidential election. Norway Football Federation president Lise Klaveness, one of his long-standing critics, called for Infantino to resign last week.

However, Infantino continues to have significant support across world football. CAF issued a statement on behalf of its 54 members backing the FIFA president, while Mexico and several South American nations, including Argentina, Paraguay, Ecuador and Bolivia, have also publicly supported him.

FIFA itself has strongly defended Infantino, warning against what it called a ‘concerted and ongoing effort’ to undermine his leadership and insisting that any challenge must follow the organisation’s statutes and democratic procedures.

The governing body has also rejected allegations concerning payments made by UEFA to a former employee during Infantino’s tenure as UEFA general secretary. Infantino has denied any wrongdoing, while FIFA has described the allegations as baseless.

With Trump now publicly backing Infantino, the dispute has taken on an added political dimension as the FIFA president seeks to maintain support ahead of the election.

While nearly 70 of FIFA’s 211 member associations have publicly indicated support for Infantino, around a dozen have either withdrawn earlier commitments or said they will not vote for him.

IANS