Donald Trump Backs Gianni Infantino as Continental Confederations Condemn FIFA President

Three major continental football confederations — UEFA, CONCACAF, and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) — have issued a joint open letter accusing FIFA president Gianni Infantino of breaking trust "through deception". The dispute centers on a controversial and subsequently scrapped project to sell stakes in the World Cup to private investors.

The criticism comes as US President Donald Trump publicly backed Infantino, warning on social media that removing or replacing the head of football's global governing body would represent a "terrible mistake".

Continental Confederations Condemn Private Investment Plan

According to reports from BBC Sport, The Guardian, ESPN, and Mundo Deportivo, UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin and his counterparts at CONCACAF and the AFC issued a joint statement criticizing Infantino's conduct. The continental leaders state that the FIFA president compromised their trust through deceptive handling of proposals regarding World Cup equity sales.

The fallout from the failed private investment scheme has escalated pressure on Infantino, with several continental federations reportedly seeking his departure from the organization.

Trump Warns Against Leadership Removal

Amid the mounting opposition from regional bodies, Donald Trump defended Infantino in a post on Truth Social, describing the FIFA chief as "fantastic" and warning federations against taking action to replace him.

The US president reaffirmed his relationship with Infantino, whom he previously received in December. Further official comments from FIFA regarding the open letter and the confederations' demands have not been confirmed at this time.