Trump Tells FIFA Ousting Infantino Would Be a 'Terrible Mistake' as Three Confederations Accuse Him of Deception

Since three of FIFA's biggest confederations accused Gianni Infantino of "deception" in a joint letter Monday, President Trump has publicly staked his own credibility on keeping the FIFA president in power.

Trump posted on Truth Social Monday night that FIFA would be making "a terrible mistake" if it even considered replacing Infantino. He called him "fantastic," credited him with "the most successful World Cup, by four times, ever presented," and warned that without him the tournament "will never be as successful or profitable again."

That statement landed hours after UEFA, CONCACAF and the Asian Football Confederation, all FIFA vice presidencies, published an open letter accusing Infantino of placing himself "above the collective that entrusted him with authority." According to Al Jazeera and CBC, the letter stopped short of explicitly demanding his resignation but called for a fully independent review of how his privatization plan collapsed.

What Infantino Actually Proposed

The controversy traces back to Infantino's FIFA Forward Enterprise plan, which would have spun off commercial rights to the men's World Cup, women's World Cup and Club World Cup into a separate company, then sold roughly a 20% stake to outside investors, according to Hindustan Times. The venture was reportedly valued near $20 billion, with Joshua Kushner's Thrive Capital and Apollo Sports Capital as the lead investors.

Joshua Kushner is Jared Kushner's brother, putting Trump's own family in the investor group's orbit. Trump was asked about the plan on July 31, before it was scrapped later that day, and told reporters flatly: "No, I never spoke to him."

Infantino argued FIFA would keep full control over governance and competitions and pointed to increased development payments to member associations, from $8 million to $20 million per cycle, as the upside. UEFA rejected that framing entirely, arguing private investment would shift football's priorities from sporting integrity to investor returns. All 55 UEFA members unanimously backed a boycott threat before the plan was withdrawn, per Hindustan Times.

The Revolt Widens

Monday's joint letter escalated things further. According to Bloomberg's reporting carried by the Japan Times, UEFA has held preliminary talks with the AFC and CONCACAF about organizing rival tournaments to FIFA's, a direct threat to FIFA's tournament revenue, which topped $9 billion during the 2026 World Cup cycle alone.

Front Office Sports reports Infantino has lost the formal endorsements of Finland, Wales, Serbia and England ahead of the March 2027 FIFA presidential election, though he remains unopposed for now, with candidates required to declare by November 18. He still holds backing from Mexico, the UAE, and the continental confederations of Africa and South America. CAF said it unanimously supports him, and CONMEBOL said it won't back a rushed effort to remove him.

FIFA itself has taken an aggressive defensive posture. The organization apologized last week for "errors" in how it handled the FFE process, but its statement also warned it "will no longer tolerate any attacks on its integrity, good governance and due process" and accused critics over the weekend of running a campaign to "undermine" Infantino, according to Forbes.

Trump Breaks With His Own Federation

The awkward part for Trump: U.S. Soccer sided against him. CBC and Front Office Sports both report that U.S. Soccer shared Monday's joint letter and joined nearly every CONCACAF member outside Mexico in calling for "meaningful change that strengthens FIFA's governance, transparency and accountability." Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney also said he's lost confidence in Infantino's leadership.

The strongest case for Trump's position is straightforward. The 2026 World Cup, held across the U.S., Mexico and Canada, generated record revenue, and Infantino did deliver it on Trump's watch, with the two appearing together at the final and Infantino awarding Trump FIFA's first-ever Peace Prize at the tournament draw. Whether that commercial success should outweigh a failed governance process that even FIFA itself admitted was mishandled is the core dispute.

Hindustan Times, citing The Telegraph, reported that Infantino tried to reach Trump administration officials including Secretary of State Marco Rubio to shore up support, though both sides denied any such outreach took place. No independent confirmation of that contact has surfaced in the other sourcing reviewed here.

Infantino has not personally responded to Trump's statement of support as of Tuesday. What happens next depends on whether UEFA follows through on its boycott threat, whether a challenger emerges before the November 18 candidate deadline, and whether Trump's public pressure shifts any of the wavering confederations back toward Infantino before the March 2027 FIFA Congress.