U.S. Soccer Chimes in on FIFA Controversy, Opposes White House Stance

The U.S. is the latest country to pick a side.

U.S. Soccer and Canada took a stand. | Rich Storry/Getty Images

For the first time since the controversy surrounding FIFA and president Gianni Infantino began, the United States Soccer Federation has spoken out.

Two weeks ago, FIFA publicly announced its proposal to sell shares of the World Cup to investors through a subsidiary company instantly valued at $20 billion. Infantino’s plan—first revealed in media leaks and put forth without consulting member associations—was immediately met with heavy backlash from several confederations and higher-ups in the soccer world, all claiming the sport’s most prestigious affair should not be “for sale.”

Although a few nations have voiced emphatic support of Infantino, the president was quickly forced to abandon the project. UEFA, Concacaf and AFC have continued to add pressure, with Europe’s governing body even vowing to boycott future competitions, before turning the debacle more personal.

With seemingly everyone picking a side, U.S. Soccer has chosen theirs, and it doesn’t exactly align with that of the nation’s president, Donald Trump.

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U.S. Soccer Issues Firm Statement

U.S. Soccer loses the key member of their strategy and growth team just nine weeks before the first men | Tommaso Boddi/USSF/Getty Images

Just hours after Concacaf issued an open letter to FIFA in conjunction with UEFA and AFC, U.S. Soccer issued a statement, aligning itself with its confederation and some of the key members.

“U.S. Soccer, Canada Soccer, CFU (Caribbean Football Union) and UNCAF (Central American Football Union) stand together, along with our colleagues around the world, in calling for meaningful change that strengthens FIFA’s governance, transparency and accountability,” the federation posted to X on Monday morning.

Unlike its European counterparts though, the U.S. has not vowed to boycott FIFA competitions, but rather, seems most focused on witnessing a structural overhaul at the governing body’s most senior levels. It is an emphasis that Concacaf has likewise made, particularly highlighting “the lack of due process surrounding [Infantino’s initial] proposal, the artificially short deadline imposed, and the absence of any review or approval by the relevant FIFA governance bodies.”

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White House Takes Opposite Stance

Infantino and Trump are known to hold a close relationship. | Jia Haocheng/Pool/Getty Images

Amid the wavering support for Infantino, the White House has reportedly pledged its fidelity. Trump and Infantino have become close over several years, a relationship that itself invited backlash and controversy all summer long at the 2026 World Cup across North America.

“Gianni helped us a lot to deliver the best World Cup ever. The president likes him a lot. I am sure the president will do everything possible to help him,” an unnamed senior administration official said last week.

“I don’t think the president will change his mind on him, because he is a loyal person. Gianni really delivered the World Cup for the United States. We value that.”

The president’s support came just days after he claimed to have no prior knowledge of Infantino’s plan to sell World Cup shares. It was a surprise response given not only the pair’s closeness, but also that Thrive Eternal—a venture capital firm founded and managed by Joshua Kushner, the brother of Trump’s son-in-law—was pegged to “lead the proposed investor group.” It was also reported at the time that the Trump administration had been consulted about the project.

Nevertheless, Trump is adamant to see the World Cup return to the U.S. as soon as 2038, which could be a reason behind his continued support for FIFA and Infantino.

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