Infantino

By Sabiu Abdullahi

US President Donald Trump has warned Fifa against removing its president, Gianni Infantino, amid growing pressure on the football governing body’s leadership over a controversial investment proposal.

Trump said replacing Infantino would be a “terrible mistake”, as opposition to the Fifa Forward Enterprise (FFE) proposal continues to grow among major football confederations.

The FFE plan reportedly involved the creation of a new company to oversee the commercial and ticketing rights of Fifa competitions, including the World Cup. Under the proposal, a 21 per cent stake in the company would have been sold to a private investment firm.

Trump made his latest comments on social media, marking his first public defence of Infantino since details of the FFE proposal emerged on 28 July.

“Fifa would be making a terrible mistake if, for any reason, they even considered replacing president Gianni Infantino,” Trump wrote on social media.

“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.”

The 2026 World Cup was jointly hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico, with Spain winning the tournament after defeating Argentina in the final.

Trump had earlier said on 31 July, when the FFE proposal first came under scrutiny, that he had not discussed the plan with Infantino.

The proposed investment group was expected to be led by Thrive Eternal, an American venture capital firm founded by Joshua Kushner, who is the brother of Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner.

Infantino has maintained a close relationship with Trump. In December 2025, the Fifa president presented the US president with the inaugural Fifa Peace Prize.

The pressure on Infantino has increased after Uefa, Concacaf and the Asian Football Confederation accused him of violating their trust “through deception” over the abandoned FFE proposal.

The three confederations have also threatened further action. Uefa has warned that it could boycott Fifa competitions and pursue legal action over the failed investment plan.

In a joint letter, the confederations said:

“When trust is broken through deception, when an individual places himself above the collective that entrusted him with authority, that duty has been abandoned,”

Although the statement did not identify Infantino by name, sources cited by BBC Sport said it should be interpreted as an opportunity for him to resign.

There have also been preliminary discussions among the three confederations about possible breakaway competitions if Infantino remains in office. However, substantive negotiations have reportedly not started.

Fifa had earlier described the opposition to the proposal as a “concerted and ongoing effort” to “undermine” the organisation and Infantino.

By Sabiu Abdullahi

Fresh speculation has emerged over who could succeed Gianni Infantino as FIFA president, as reports suggest efforts to remove the football governing body’s long-serving leader are gathering momentum.

Sky News reported that moves against Infantino are “accelerating” and that there is “a determined effort” to oust him from office after a sharp decline in support following his failed attempt to sell a stake in the FIFA World Cup to private investors.

According to the report, possible successors include CONCACAF president Victor Montagliani and Paris Saint-Germain president Nasser Al-Khelaifi.

The report also stated that UEFA has intensified consultations with several football associations, including the English Football Association, as it seeks support for a new candidate to replace Infantino.

Infantino’s proposal to bring private investors into the World Cup project reportedly met stiff resistance from UEFA, CONCACAF and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC). The opposition eventually brought the plan to an end.

Following that setback, UEFA has reportedly taken the lead in efforts to challenge Infantino’s leadership. The campaign, which was initially expected to strengthen his position ahead of a possible fourth term in office, is now said to have weakened his standing.

Sky News reiterated that the campaign against the FIFA president is “accelerating” and described it as “a determined effort” to remove him from office. The report further claimed that it is no longer a question of whether Infantino will leave office, but when it will happen.

One option under consideration is persuading Infantino to resign from the position he has occupied for 10 years. If that fails, supporters of the move could seek an emergency FIFA congress. Under FIFA rules, 43 of the organisation’s 211 member associations would have to request such a meeting before a vote of no confidence could be initiated.

Another strategy involves backing a rival candidate in the next FIFA presidential election. TalkSPORT reported that UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin has appealed to football federations that previously endorsed Infantino for a fourth term, including the English FA, asking them to withdraw their support.