US President Donald Trump has warned FIFA against removing Gianni Infantino as president of world football’s governing body, describing any attempt to replace him as a “terrible mistake.”

Trump issued the warning in a post on his Truth Social platform on Tuesday, as Infantino faces growing pressure over a controversial proposal to open up part of FIFA’s commercial operations to private investors.

“FIFA would be making a terrible mistake if, for any reason, they even considered replacing president Gianni Infantino,” Trump wrote.

He praised Infantino’s leadership during the 2026 World Cup, claiming the tournament had been the most successful in FIFA’s history.

“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 added.

Infantino faces mounting pressure

Trump’s intervention comes as pressure builds around Infantino following his now-abandoned proposal to establish FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE), a company that would oversee the commercial and operational aspects of FIFA tournaments.

The plan included a proposal to sell about 20 per cent of the company to private investors, triggering strong opposition from several of FIFA’s continental confederations.

Infantino has since apologised for the proposal.

UEFA, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and Concacaf have held preliminary discussions about organising competitions independently amid the dispute, raising concerns over the future relationship between FIFA and its confederations.

UEFA has previously threatened to boycott FIFA competitions.

The three confederations have also called for an independent review of the FFE proposal in an open letter that stopped short of directly naming Infantino.

The letter warned that football leadership was a responsibility rather than a position of personal power.

“Leadership in football is not a possession. It is not about holding – or demanding – power to be held. It is a duty of service to the football family that entrusts it,” the confederations said.

They added that when trust is broken through deception and an individual places himself above those who entrusted him with authority, “that duty has been abandoned.”

Infantino’s future under scrutiny

The dispute has raised questions over Infantino’s future at FIFA, with the confederations reportedly seeking to shield themselves from the crisis while giving him an opportunity to resign without seeking re-election.

Infantino is expected to face a leadership decision ahead of FIFA’s next presidential election in March 2027.

Trump’s public backing could add another dimension to the dispute, particularly given the United States’ prominent role in hosting the 2026 World Cup alongside Canada and Mexico.

For now, the conflict has placed FIFA’s leadership, commercial strategy and relationship with its continental confederations under renewed scrutiny.