FIFA strongly denied claims that its President Gianni Infantino sought help from U.S. President Donald Trump after his attempt to sell the World Cup's commercial rights to private investors collapsed. In a statement to Reuters, the organization described the report as 'pure fiction'.
A FIFA spokesperson said, 'The FIFA President has not called the U.S. President or any member of his administration in recent days.' The denial followed a New York Post story claiming that Infantino had attempted to contact Trump and was left isolated by criticism.
Infantino's plan to raise up to $4.2 billion by selling a roughly 20% stake in an entity overseeing FIFA's competitions, including the World Cup, was shelved after facing strong resistance from stakeholders.
Following the plan's suspension, debate over Infantino's bid for re-election as FIFA president for the 2027-2031 term has intensified. His chances of staying on for another term are facing heightened scrutiny.
Trump and Infantino had forged a close relationship, meeting at major football events including the World Cup co-hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada this year. In December 2025, Infantino presented Trump with the FIFA Peace Award, making him the first recipient.
The ties drew additional notice because Joshua Kushner, the founder of Thrive Capital who was expected to lead the commercial rights initiative, is the brother of Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner.
The New York Post also reported that Infantino had planned private talks with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio. However, Dylan Johnson, the Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Global Public Affairs, said in a post on X that Rubio had no plans to speak with the 56-year-old FIFA president.
Amid this, Infantino shared messages of support from member federations such as Sri Lanka, Kuwait, Qatar and Morocco on his Instagram account.
