Infantino Seeks Trump's Backing as FIFA Presidency Comes Under Pressure

FIFA president Gianni Infantino has spent the past several days trying, without success, to get President Donald Trump on the phone a striking turn for two men who spent much of the past year cultivating one of the most visible relationships in global sports.

A Partnership Built Around the World Cup

Infantino and Trump grew close throughout the buildup to the 2026 World Cup, which the United States co-hosted with Mexico and Canada. Trump attended the tournament's final at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, presenting the trophy to Spain after their win over Argentina. Along the way, Infantino handed Trump FIFA's inaugural Peace Prize in December 2025, and Trump later intervened directly in FIFA business placing a call to Infantino to request a review of a red-card suspension handed to U.S. forward Folarin Balogun. The ban was dropped shortly after.

That episode drew criticism from football officials and media who questioned whether a sitting U.S. president should have any influence over FIFA's disciplinary process. FIFA maintained its Disciplinary Committee acted independently, and Infantino personally denied any interference. Still, the incident chipped away at confidence in Infantino's leadership, with reports suggesting he'd lost standing both inside FIFA and among the federations it governs.

The Deal That Broke the Relationship

The current crisis traces back to a secret plan Infantino was pursuing to spin off FIFA's commercial rights broadcasting, sponsorship, licensing and ticketing into a new entity reportedly called FIFA Forward Enterprise. Under the arrangement, Josh Kushner's investment firm, Thrive Capital, was set to take a 20 percent stake worth an estimated $4 billion.

The plan collapsed abruptly after news of it leaked, triggering what's been described as near-universal backlash from soccer federations around the world. FIFA's own chief operating officer, Kevin Lamour, told the Associated Press he'd had no knowledge of the talks and felt blindsided by the move.

Radio Silence From the White House

Since the deal fell apart, Infantino has reportedly placed multiple calls to Trump all unanswered. People familiar with the matter say the FIFA president is now looking for other avenues into the administration, including a scheduled call with Secretary of State Marco Rubio, ostensibly to discuss soccer's role in American "soft power" abroad. But sources close to the situation describe the outreach more bluntly: an attempt to shore up political cover as Infantino's position weakens.

One source briefed on the discussions summed up the subtext: however the conversation with Rubio is framed publicly, the real motivation is protecting Infantino's job.

Adding to the pressure, Infantino is facing scrutiny from Washington on a separate front. Rep. Jamie Raskin, the ranking Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, has asked FIFA to produce records detailing its contacts with Trump, his administration, and the Trump Organization with a request that FIFA sit for a transcribed interview.

What Comes Next

FIFA's presidential election is scheduled for 2027, and by most accounts Infantino remains heavily favored reports indicate the overwhelming majority of FIFA's 211 member associations have already endorsed him for a fourth term. But the combination of the collapsed investment deal, internal fallout at FIFA headquarters, and now a cooling relationship with the U.S. president has left him searching for allies at a moment when his standing looks more fragile than it has in years.

Neither the White House nor FIFA has issued an on-record comment on the state of the Trump-Infantino relationship.