Donald Trump defends Infantino: 'Replacing him would be a terrible mistake'

U.S. President Donald Trump has publicly backed FIFA President Gianni Infantino, asserting that replacing him would be a "terrible mistake." Trump described Infantino as "fantastic" and credited him with overseeing the "most successful World Cup," adding that the sport would not see similar success or profitability if Infantino were to depart. The comments came via a post on Trump's Truth Social platform.

Infantino, currently the sole declared candidate for the upcoming FIFA presidential election in March, faces significant pressure following the public disclosure and subsequent abandonment of a controversial plan to involve private investors. This initiative has drawn sharp criticism from the confederations of Europe (UEFA), North, Central America, and the Caribbean (Concacaf), and Asia (AFC).

These three confederations issued a joint letter to the "football family," stating that "leadership in football is not a possession" and that "when trust is broken through deceit, when an individual places themselves above the collective that entrusted them with authority, that duty has been abandoned." However, Infantino retains the support of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) and CONMEBOL (South America), which together represent a substantial bloc of FIFA's member associations. The Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) has also not joined the criticism.

Within Concacaf, there appears to be some internal division, particularly among the three co-host nations of the 2026 World Cup. While the Mexican Football Federation has publicly distanced itself from the Concacaf line and reaffirmed its support for Infantino, the United States and Canada aligned with the joint letter from UEFA, Concacaf, and AFC. The Caribbean Football Union (CFU) and the Central American Football Union (UNCAF) have also expressed their support for Infantino on social media.