FIFA President Gianni Infantino asked U.S. President Donald Trump for help after his plan to raise $4.2 billion from private investors by selling a portion of the World Cup's commercial rights failed. According to the New York Post, citing sources close to the matter, Infantino has repeatedly tried to reach Trump by phone since the plan was shelved on Friday, but was unsuccessful.
The report said the FIFA president felt 'isolated' in the face of negative media coverage. FIFA has not yet made an official statement on the matter.
Infantino's bid to raise funds by transferring FIFA's commercial assets, including the World Cup, to a new company had faced stiff opposition from stakeholders. FIFA's plan to raise money by selling about 20 percent of shares in the new entity was halted on Friday.
Following this failed attempt, attention has turned to the pressure on Infantino, who is expected to run for re-election as FIFA president for the 2027-2031 term.
Trump and Infantino have built a close relationship, coming together at major football events including this year's World Cup, which is co-hosted by the U.S., Mexico, and Canada. Infantino presented Trump with the first FIFA Peace Prize in December 2025.
The relationship has returned to the spotlight with FIFA's World Cup sales plan. The planned deal was set to be led by Thrive Capital, founded by Joshua Kushner, the brother of Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner.
The New York Post also reported that Infantino planned a private meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and according to two sources, the FIFA president was expected to hold a phone call with the top diplomat around 4 p.m. Turkish time. However, Dylan Johnson, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Global Public Affairs at the U.S. State Department, said in a statement on X that there were 'no plans' for Rubio to meet with Infantino and that 'there was no phone call this morning.'
