US President Donald Trump has thrown his support behind embattled FIFA President Gianni Infantino, asserting that replacing him would be a "terrible mistake".
Key Points
- Donald Trump has publicly endorsed FIFA President Gianni Infantino, calling his potential replacement a 'terrible mistake' and crediting him for the 'most successful World Cup'.
- Infantino is facing significant criticism and a battle to retain his presidency ahead of next year's elections, largely due to the controversial 'FIFA Forward Enterprise' plan.
- UEFA, CONCACAF, and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) have jointly accused Infantino of 'breaking trust through deception' over the 'FIFA Forward Enterprise' proposal.
- The controversial plan, which aimed at private investment in FIFA competitions, was withdrawn after widespread backlash from football associations.
- The three governing bodies emphasised that football's growth is a 'shared achievement' and leadership is a 'duty of service', not a 'possession'.
US President Donald Trump said that it would be a "terrible mistake" to replace Gianni Infantino as the FIFA president, pointing out the success of the recently concluded, expanded FIFA World Cup 2026 to state that the sport would "never be as successful or profitable" if he is gone.
Controversy Over FIFA Forward Enterprise
Trouble has been looming over Infantino's presidency ever since he announced the FIFA Forward Enterprise, which aimed at bringing private involvement/investment in FIFA-related competitions, particularly the FIFA World Cup.
The move invited a lot of wrath and concern from football associations across the world, notably UEFA, CONCACAF, FA, Asian Football Confederation (AFC), among others. While the plan was withdrawn following the backlash and numerous member associations have extended their support to Infantino, it is safe to say that the FIFA president's popularity and trust have taken a massive dent.
Trump's Endorsement
Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform, "FIFA would be making a terrible mistake if, for any reason, they even considered replacing President Gianni Infantino. 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! Thank you for your attention to this matter. President DJT".
The endorsement might not be that effective, however, given the close association between Trump and Infantino at the World Cup in June and July troubled many in the game.
Those concerns were amplified when a company run by the brother of Trump's son in law emerged as a key mover in the controversial stake-sale plan. Trump said he had not discussed the plan with Infantino.
Infantino's Apology and Ongoing Battle
After the withdrawal of FIFA Forward Enterprise, in another statement, Infantino and FIFA General Secretary Mattias Grafstrom apologised for the errors and pledged that they would not be repeated, that a review would be done, and findings would be submitted to the FIFA Council during the next meeting. But despite all this, Infantino battles to retain his spot ahead of the presidential elections next year in March.
Joint Statement from Governing Bodies
UEFA, CONCACAF and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) issued a joint statement on Monday, calling out the FIFA president, Gianni Infantino, for "breaking trust through deception" as he tried to go ahead with his 'FIFA Forward Enterprise' and how the governing body failed to recognise the idea of selling a stake in the FIFA World Cup as a "profound failure of judgment." The three governing bodies called the growth in sport during the last decade something real, but said that it was "never the work of one individual" and rather a "shared achievement".
"It was the product of FIFA, the Confederations, the Member Associations, and the thousands of people who dedicate their lives to the game. The expanded tournaments, the awarding of the 2030 and 2034 FIFA World Cups, the distribution of resources to associations. These were shared achievements, agreed together, delivered together," said the statement. Calling out Infantino, they said that football leadership is "not a possession" but a "duty of service" to the football family. On the FIFA Forward Enterprise, the three governing bodies said that what football witnessed was a "failure of judgment". They also called on FIFA and President Infantino for "silence where there should be accountability, distance where there should be openness."
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Source: Rediff.com
