By Prof Dr Ian Blackshaw
It has been reported that President Donald Trump has come out in support of Gianni Infantino remaining as President of FIFA.
On social media, President Trump stated that:
"FIFA would be making a terrible mistake if, for any reason, they even considered replacing president Gianni Infantino."
And added that:
"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 support of Infantino follows the Open Letter, which was issued on 10 August 2026 by UEFA, CONCACAF and AFC, in which Gianni Infantino is accused of breaking trust "through deception" with his abandoned FIFA Forward Enterprise proposal.
Under this proposal, 21% of FIFA competitions, including World Cups, would be sold to a venture capital company, Thrive Eternal, founded by Joshua Kushner, the brother of Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner.
Prof Dr Ian Blackshaw may be contacted by e-mail at ‘