US President Donald Trump has thrown his support behind under-fire FIFA president Gianni Infantino, warning that world football’s governing body would make a “terrible mistake” if it replaced the Swiss administrator.

Infantino has faced mounting pressure in recent weeks following the collapse of a controversial plan to raise around $4.2 billion through a new commercial subsidiary linked to FIFA’s World Cup rights.

The proposal triggered strong opposition from several of FIFA’s most powerful confederations, with UEFA, CONCACAF and the AFC accusing Infantino of breaching trust and calling for an independent review of how the plan was handled.

Trump, however, has defended the FIFA president and pointed to the success of the 2026 World Cup, which was co-hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada.

Donald Trump warns FIFA against replacing Infantino

Trump made his position clear in a post on Truth Social, arguing that Infantino’s removal would damage FIFA’s future.

“FIFA would be making a terrible mistake if, for any reason, they even considered replacing President Gianni Infantino,” Trump wrote.

“He is fantastic, having just presided over the most successful World Cup, by four times, ever presented. If he is gone, it will never be as successful or profitable again!”

Trump’s intervention comes at a particularly difficult moment for Infantino, who is facing the most serious challenge to his leadership since becoming FIFA president in 2016.

The 2026 World Cup was hosted across the United States, Mexico and Canada and represented a major commercial expansion for FIFA, with the tournament featuring 48 teams for the first time.

Gianni Infantino under pressure over $4.2 billion proposal

The controversy centres on Infantino’s proposed FIFA Forward Enterprise, which was intended to operate as a new commercial entity for the governing body’s major competitions.

The proposal reportedly involved selling a stake in the commercial rights of the World Cup and other FIFA competitions to private investors, with FIFA seeking to raise approximately $4.2 billion.

The plan was eventually withdrawn after widespread criticism.

UEFA was particularly vocal in its opposition, arguing that the proposal had been developed without sufficient consultation with the continental confederations and national associations.

The backlash eventually led to an emergency FIFA meeting in Morocco, after which FIFA apologised to its 211 member associations over mistakes in the handling of the proposal.

However, the apology did little to calm the dispute.

UEFA, AFC and CONCACAF intensify opposition

The latest escalation came on Monday when UEFA, the AFC and CONCACAF jointly criticised Infantino’s leadership in an open letter.

Although the letter did not name Infantino directly, its message was unmistakable.

The confederations accused FIFA’s leadership of damaging trust and argued that football’s governing structures should serve the member associations rather than concentrate power in the hands of an individual.

They also called for a fully independent review of the events surrounding the abandoned commercial proposal.

UEFA has gone further by threatening to boycott FIFA competitions, including the men’s and women’s World Cups, if it does not receive assurances that similar proposals will not be attempted again.

That represents an extraordinary escalation given UEFA’s influence within the global game.

Gianni Infantino still has significant support

Despite the revolt from UEFA and its allies, Infantino is far from isolated.

The Confederation of African Football has firmly backed the FIFA president, while CONMEBOL has argued that his future should be decided through the established presidential election process.

FIFA has 211 member associations, meaning the battle for Infantino’s future will ultimately be decided through the electoral system rather than by the continental confederations alone.

Several national associations have nevertheless publicly withdrawn or reconsidered their support for his re-election, including Denmark, Finland, Sweden, Serbia and Wales.

Infantino remains the only declared candidate for the FIFA presidential election scheduled for March 2027.

Donald Trump and Infantino have developed a close relationship

Trump’s intervention is also significant because of his increasingly visible relationship with Infantino.

The two have appeared together repeatedly around the 2026 World Cup, with Trump playing a prominent role in the tournament’s US-hosting arrangements.

Trump has previously praised Infantino’s leadership and the relationship between the two has become increasingly visible during the tournament cycle.

His latest comments therefore provide Infantino with a powerful political endorsement at a time when several European football leaders are questioning his position.

The battle is now bigger than the World Cup deal

The dispute has evolved beyond the abandoned $4.2 billion investment proposal.

UEFA and its allies are increasingly challenging the way FIFA is governed, while Infantino’s supporters argue that attempts to remove him must follow FIFA’s established democratic procedures.

That leaves world football facing a potentially damaging power struggle ahead of the 2027 presidential election.

Trump’s message makes clear where the United States president stands.

But with UEFA openly questioning Infantino’s leadership, several national associations reconsidering their support and the FIFA president facing calls to resign, the coming months could determine whether his decade-long tenure at the top of world football continues into a fourth term.