Donald Trump has publicly backed Gianni Infantino. The US president says it would be a ‘terrible mistake’ if the under-pressure FIFA president were ousted from his position, at the very moment three of the six continental confederations have turned on him. UEFA, Concacaf and the Asian Football Confederation issued an open letter accusing Infantino of breaking trust ‘through deception’ over his aborted FIFA Forward Enterprise proposal. With the 2026 World Cup less than a year away and partly staged on American soil, Trump’s intervention carries obvious political weight.
What Trump said about Infantino
The US president stated it would be a ‘terrible mistake’ if Gianni Infantino were removed as FIFA president. The backing arrived directly after three continental confederations went public with their grievances.
The relationship between the two men is well established. In 2025 Trump was awarded the FIFA Peace Prize by Infantino, an honour created by the governing body itself. That history explains why the presidential endorsement lands the way it does.
One caveat matters: Trump holds no statutory power inside FIFA. His support is political and reputational. The people who decide a FIFA president’s future are the member associations and the FIFA Congress, not the White House.
The open letter from UEFA, Concacaf and the AFC
UEFA, Concacaf and the Asian Football Confederation issued a joint open letter accusing Gianni Infantino of breaking trust ‘through deception’. The complaint targets how the FIFA Forward Enterprise proposal was handled, not any sporting matter.
The signatories carry serious weight. UEFA covers Europe’s major leagues, including the Premier League. Concacaf hosts much of the 2026 World Cup. The AFC represents an enormous Asian commercial market.
An open letter is political pressure rather than a removal process. No automatic mechanism follows from it — unseating Infantino would require a formal route through FIFA’s own governing structures.
What the FFE proposal actually was
FIFA Forward Enterprise would have created a new company to manage the commercial and ticketing rights of all FIFA competitions, World Cups included. A 21% stake in that company was to be sold to a private investment company.
That 21% figure is the flashpoint. Handing part of the control of world football’s commercial income to a private investor changes, on a lasting basis, how money flows between FIFA, its confederations and its member associations.
The proposal was ultimately aborted. Pulling it has not settled the row: the open letter objects less to the content of the plan than to the way it was pushed forward.
Why England and the Premier League are affected
The Football Association sits within UEFA, one of the three confederations behind the letter. English football therefore falls, by membership, inside the bloc most critical of Infantino.
For Premier League clubs the stakes are financial as well as political. FIFA distributions, the club benefits programme that compensates clubs for releasing internationals, and the international match calendar all depend on the governing body’s commercial health.
Clubs such as Manchester City, Arsenal and Liverpool release large numbers of internationals every window and are regular participants in FIFA-run competitions. Any restructuring of FIFA’s commercial model eventually reaches their balance sheets.
What happens next before the 2026 World Cup
The 2026 World Cup will be staged in the United States, Canada and Mexico with 48 teams. A governance crisis months before kick-off is the worst possible timing for FIFA.
Trump’s support secures the American political flank but resolves nothing with European and Asian officials. The coming weeks will show whether the confederations stop at an open letter or escalate to formal institutional action.
For England, nothing changes on the pitch. Preparation, fixtures and the tournament format are unaffected. The fight is over money and control inside FIFA’s own boardroom.
FAQ
What exactly did Trump say about Gianni Infantino?
The US president said it would be a ‘terrible mistake’ if the under-pressure FIFA president Gianni Infantino were ousted from his position.
Which confederations signed the open letter against Infantino?
UEFA, Concacaf and the Asian Football Confederation. They accused Infantino of breaking trust ‘through deception’ over the FIFA Forward Enterprise proposal.
What was the FIFA Forward Enterprise proposal?
A now-aborted plan to create a new company managing the commercial and ticketing rights of all FIFA competitions, including World Cups, with 21% sold to a private investment company.
Can Infantino actually be removed as FIFA president?
Nothing guarantees it at this stage. An open letter is political pressure; removal would require a formal process through FIFA’s governing bodies.
Does this affect the 2026 World Cup?
The staging of the tournament is not in doubt. The dispute concerns FIFA’s governance and commercial model, not the calendar, the host venues or the competition format.
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