U.S. President Donald Trump has disagreed with U.S Soccer over the remover of Gianni Infantino.
U.S Soccer Monday joined the growing list of influential federations spearheaded by UEFA calling for change in FIFA leadership.
Trump pushed back against growing pressure on FIFA President, warning that ousting him would be a “terrible mistake.”
In a post on Truth Social early Tuesday, Trump defended Infantino amid backlash over a failed plan to sell private stakes in the men’s World Cup.
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“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!”
The president’s comments come as Infantino faces criticism from major confederations. UEFA, the Asian Football Confederation, and Concacaf have reportedly held initial talks about organizing their own competitions, citing what they called “deception” around Infantino’s leadership.
The three bodies have not called for his immediate removal, but sources say they want him to resign with dignity and not seek re-election in March next year. UEFA has previously threatened a boycott of FIFA events.
At the center of the dispute is Infantino’s proposal to create FIFA Forward Enterprise, a company to manage the commercial and operational side of FIFA tournaments. The plan included selling about 20% to private investors. Infantino later apologized for the proposal.
ALSO READ: Red Card: Infantino under fire as EU lawmakers demand probe
The confederations followed up with an open letter urging FIFA to conduct an independent review of the scheme. Without naming Infantino directly, they wrote: “Leadership in football is not a possession… When trust is broken through deception, when an individual places himself above the collective that entrusted him with authority, that duty has been abandoned.”
