Donald Trump Calls Potential FIFA President Infantino Ouster a 'Terrible Mistake'

Former U.S. President Donald Trump has strongly endorsed FIFA President Gianni Infantino, warning that removing him would be a "terrible mistake." Trump took to his Truth Social platform to praise Infantino, attributing the success of the recent World Cup to his leadership.

"FIFA would make a terrible mistake if for any reason it would even consider replacing President Gianni Infantino. He is fantastic and just led the most successful World Cup ever, which was a quadruple success compared to previous ones," Trump wrote. He further asserted that without Infantino, "the tournament will never be as successful or profitable again."

However, Trump did not specify the basis for his claim that the World Cup was four times more successful than previous editions. Official figures released by FIFA regarding attendance and financial performance do not directly corroborate this assertion. Infantino himself has been at the center of controversy following the disclosure of a plan to corporatize the commercial rights of FIFA tournaments.

This proposed plan involves establishing a new entity to manage these rights, with approximately 20 percent of the new company to be sold to private investors. The proposal has drawn sharp criticism from major football confederations, including UEFA, CONCACAF, and the AFC, who have issued an open letter demanding an independent investigation into FIFA's decision-making process regarding the corporatization initiative.