President Donald Trump has thrown his weight behind embattled FIFA President Gianni Infantino as the football chief faces ongoing pressure to resign.
The U.S. president warned FIFA that it would be a “terrible mistake” to even consider ousting Infantino, amid widespread backlash over the latter’s plan to sell off stakes in the World Cup and other competitions.
“He is fantastic, having just presided over the most successful World Cup, by four times, ever presented,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “If he is gone, it will never be as successful or profitable again!”
Swiss-born Infantino has been criticized by a slew of organizations and world leaders, including UEFA, Europe’s football governing body, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and British Prime Minister Andy Burnham.
Below we look at the history of Infantino and Trump’s relationship as the pair continue to support each other on the world’s stage.
Red cards at the White House
Trump and Infantino’s relationship can be traced back to 2018, two years after both he and Infantino won their first presidencies.
The commander-in-chief hosted the FIFA president at the White House after the U.S. won the right to co-host the World Cup.
During the meeting, Infantino handed Trump red and yellow penalty cards and joked that the commander-in-chief could use them against the press.
The pair later met again in Davos in 2020, where they dined together.
Infantino was invited by Trump to the White House that same year for the signing of the Abraham Accords, which normalized relations between several Middle Eastern countries and Israel.
A closer relationship and a new peace prize
Trump and Infantino appeared to grow closer during Trump’s second term as the 2026 World Cup drew nearer.
Ahead of the world’s biggest football tournament, Trump was handed the inaugural FIFA Peace Prize by Infantino in December 2025.
In a press release detailing the award, FIFA credited Trump for his “pivotal role” in promoting peace between Israel and Palestine.
The award was handed to Trump just months after Venezuelan activist María Corina Machado won the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize, despite the U.S. president insisting that he was deserving of the accolade.
Earlier this year, Infantino attended a meeting of Trump’s Board of Peace and confirmed that FIFA would build an academy and a 20,000-seat stadium in Gaza.
“We don’t have to just rebuild houses or schools or hospitals or roads,” Infantino said at the event. “We also have to rebuild and build people, emotion, hope and trust. And this is what football, my sport, is about.”
The World Cup kicks off
Once the world’s biggest football tournament began, Infantino and Trump became embroiled in a slew of controversial moments.
During the contest Trump confirmed he had called Infantino personally after U.S. player Folarin Balogun was handed a red card during a match against Bosnia and Herzegovina.
“I said, ‘Gianni, I’d like to make a recommendation: Let the guy in the game,’” Trump said, recalling the phone call. “No, I didn’t say that. I said I’d like to wage a complaint. And actually…I had no idea what was gonna happen.”
Balogun was eventually allowed to play with the U.S. team in a match against Belgium, which ended in a victory for the latter country.
In a statement, Infantino said that the decision to allow Balogun to play was taken by the FIFA Disciplinary Committee and that all of FIFA’s judicial bodies are “independent.”
Infantino also said that he explained to Trump that “there was an ongoing legal process involving FIFA’s independent judicial bodies and that the case would be decided in due course by the competent bodies.”
When the tournament came to a close, Infantino was seen ushering Trump off stage when he awkwardly lingered on stage following Spain’s victory over Argentina in the final.
A White House insider told The New York Post in July that Trump wanted Infantino to become the United Nations’ next secretary general.
The insider claimed that Trump believes Infantino is “respected by everyone around the world” and that he has a “special ability to bring people together.”
Infantino’s World Cup sell off
After the 2026 tournament eneded, Infantino came under fire over a plan to create a $20 billion subsidiary to run the World Cup and other events, with 20 percent of the subsidiary’s shares being offered up to investors.
The plan was dropped after it drew anger and widespread international criticism.
In a scathing open letter, UEFA, CONCACAF and the Asian Football Confederation called for an independent review into Infantino’s plan, which they described as a “profound failure of judgement.”
Some countries, including Mexico, Morocco and Argentina, have backed Infantino.
In a statement, FIFA claimed that there were attempts to “undermine” Infantino, who is seeking re-election in March next year.
