Trump Warns FIFA Against Ousting Infantino, Calls Move ‘Terrible Mistake’

U.S. President Donald Trump publicly defended FIFA President Gianni Infantino on social media Tuesday, warning that replacing him would be a “terrible mistake” amid growing pressure from major soccer confederations over a controversial commercial proposal.

Trump’s comments marked his first direct support for Infantino since the aborted FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) plan surfaced July 28. The proposal would have created a new company managing commercial and ticketing rights for all FiIFA  events, including World Cups, with 21% sold to a private investor group.

Three continental confederations—UEFA Concacaf, and the Asian Football Confederation—issued an open letter accusing Infantino of breaking trust “through deception” over the plan.

“FIFA would lbe making a terrible mistake if, for any reason, they even considered replacing president Gianni Infantino,” Trump wrote. He cited the 2026 World Cup, co-hosted by the U.S., Canada, and Mexico, as “the most successful World Cup, by four times, ever presented.”

Trump said July 31 he had not discussed the FFE proposal with Infantino. The lead investor group was to be Thrive Eternal, a firm founded by Joshua Kushner, brother of Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner.