According to the latest report from The Telegraph, Trump will "do everything in his power" to prevent Gianni Infantino from being removed from his position as FIFA president due to his plans to sell his World Cup shares.
According to reports, Gianni Infantino is facing increasing pressure to resign after his plan to sell his World Cup stake failed on Friday. He is reportedly expected to meet with members of Trump's cabinet, such as Secretary of State Marco Rubio, to solidify his position.
However, both FIFA and the U.S. State Department denied the claim. Nevertheless, a senior government official with close ties to Trump and Infantino revealed that Trump had a favorable impression of Infantino after he helped the U.S. host the "best World Cup in history" and hoped that he would continue to serve.
The official said, "Infantino helped us create the most exciting World Cup ever. Trump likes him very much, and I believe Trump will do everything he can to help him. I don't think Trump will change his opinion of him because Infantino is a loyal person, and we value that."
Before the scandal broke, reports indicated that Trump wanted Gianni Infantino to become the next UN Secretary-General, while Infantino had stated that the UN was no longer suited to fulfill its duties. During their first meeting in August 2018, Infantino brought red and yellow cards, jokingly suggesting they might be "very useful" when Trump was dealing with the media.
Since then, the two have grown closer. At the draw ceremony for the 2026 World Cup last December, Infantino presented Trump with a gold trophy and a medal engraved with his name. Trump had previously longed to win the Nobel Peace Prize, but ultimately failed to do so.
On Monday, media reports indicated that since Infantino's plan to sell the World Cup completely failed, he had tried to contact Trump multiple times without success. Last Friday, when asked about the FIFA sale, Trump said he had not yet spoken with Infantino about the matter.
Meanwhile, the English Football Association (FA) is at the center of building a new global alliance, while UEFA is lobbying Africa and Asia to help oust Infantino. The FA played a key role behind the scenes in ousting Infantino after withdrawing its support for him.
The English Football Association (FA) had planned to formally send a letter to Gianni Infantino on Monday to withdraw its previous letter of support for him, after Infantino's plan to sell his World Cup shares ultimately failed, a move that involved individuals closely associated with Trump.
The two continents have a total of 100 football associations voting, almost half of the global total, but so far no league has publicly called for Infantino to step down. In fact, people from Morocco, Qatar, Sri Lanka and Lebanon have given him their support.
The CFA did not even oppose the plan to sell the World Cup, only stating that it would study the proposal. While the AFC opposed the plan, it did not join the movement demanding Infantino's resignation. Furthermore, forming an anti-Infantino alliance is urgent, as a vote of no confidence requires three months' notice.
English FA president and FIFA vice-president Debbie Hewitt addressed an emergency meeting of UEFA members on Thursday, where she and other FIFA council members emphasized that they knew nothing about Gianni Infantino's plans. A day later, Infantino cancelled his plans to sell shares in the World Cup and other competitions.
