Gianni Infantino’s ‘Appeal’ to President Trump Comes Amid Threat to ‘Paralyze’ FIFA

The threat of setting up rival competitions to FIFA’s storied tournaments has even been reportedly raised.

The ticker-tape isn’t tumbling quite so readily for Gianni Infantino (right) anymore. | Catherine Ivill/AMA/Getty Images

Gianni Infantino’s reported “appeal” to U.S. President Trump’s cabinet has been met with speculation of a cross-continental alliance of soccer associations forming in opposition to the divisive FIFA president.

The walls appear to be closing in on Infantino. The Swiss executive has been forced onto the back foot since announcing his plan to create a subsidiary company to control the commercial rights of all FIFA tournaments, namely the men’s and women’s World Cup, which would then have a 20% stake sold off to private investors.

In the face of unrelenting dissent, including the threat of all European nations boycotting future World Cups, Infantino withdrew his proposal. Unsatisfied by this response, his opposition are now gathering to push for his resignation as FIFA president.

Infantino was thought to have planned to speak to members of Trump’s cabinet on Monday after receiving a threat of legal action from UEFA, European soccer’s governing body, BBC Sport’s Simon Stone reported. Separate claims that U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio would also be contacted were quashed by Dylan Johnson, the Assistant Secretary of State for Global Public Affairs. It’s not clear whether there have been discussions between Infantino and Trump.

Josh Kushner, the brother of President Trump’s son-in-law, is the founder of Thrive Eternal, the fund which had been singled out by FIFA as the lead investor in this proposed enterprise to raise $4.2 billion. Kushner is also reported to have received the written legal warning from UEFA.

Yet, the threat does not stop at the courts.

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The ‘Governance Boycott’ Plan to Cripple Infantino, FIFA

Aleksander Čeferin (left) and Gianni Infantino have not always seen eye-to-eye. | Nicolò Campo/LightRocket/Getty Images

UEFA has been joined by the leaders of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and Concacaf, the confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean associations, in a plot to “paralyze” FIFA with a scheme of “governance boycott,” according to The Times.

Should Infantino refuse to step down or continue to seek reelection for a fourth term ahead of March 2027, the three confederations are reportedly planning to abstain from any participation in FIFA’s governmental goings-on, be that council meetings, votes or committee conventions. Between them, the AFC, Concacaf and UEFA boast 136 of the 211 member associations, ensuring that a collective boycott from all three would prevent any majority being reached by the remaining associations who have stood by Infantino.

There is even the bold claim that these rebels would be prepared to set up rival tournaments. UEFA is thought to have sketched out a global Nations League—a series of fixtures between national teams divided into divisions and played in a round-robin format, like Premier League campaign rather than a knockout competition such as a World Cup.

“Everyone is very determined he needs to go, and if not we will take all the necessary steps [to remove him from power],” The Times quote an anonymous source as saying. “That includes future international competitions—would the big South American countries prefer to play France or Spain, or Lebanon or Djibouti?”

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