US President Donald Trump (left) and Fifa President Gianni Infantino through the trophy presentation after the match World Cup 2026 remaining between Spain and Argentina on the New York/New Jersey Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey, US, July 19, 2026. — Reuters
Fifa on Tuesday dismissed as “pure fiction” a report that its President Gianni Infantino had sought assist from US President Donald Trump’s administration after the collapse of a plan to promote a stake in World Cup business rights.
The denial got here after the New York Put up reported on Monday that Infantino had repeatedly tried and failed to succeed in Trump by telephone since his proposal was deserted on Friday and that he felt remoted amid mounting criticism.
“The Fifa President has not made any call to the US President, or any members of his administration, in recent days. It is pure fiction,” Fifa stated in a press release to Reuters.
The backlash has intensified over Infantino’s failed plan to spin off the world soccer governing physique’s business property into a brand new entity backed by non-public buyers.
Fifa’s proposal to unlock as much as $4.2 billion from non-public buyers by promoting a roughly 20% stake in an entity overseeing competitions together with the World Cup collapsed after robust resistance from stakeholders.
With the plan shelved, consideration has turned to the potential repercussions for Infantino, whose prospects of securing one other time period as Fifa president from 2027 to 2031 have come underneath elevated scrutiny.
Trump and Infantino have solid a detailed relationship, showing collectively at main soccer occasions together with this 12 months’s World Cup co-hosted by the US, Mexico and Canada.
Infantino offered Trump with the inaugural Fifa Peace Prize in December 2025, making him the primary recipient of the award.
The connection attracted additional consideration as a result of Thrive Capital — based by Joshua Kushner, the brother of Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner — had been anticipated to play a number one position within the proposed business rights enterprise.
The New York Put up additionally reported that Infantino had scheduled non-public talks with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Nonetheless, US Assistant Secretary of State for International Public Affairs Dylan Johnson stated in a publish on X on Monday that there have been no plans for Rubio to talk with the 56-year-old Fifa president.
Infantino has taken to Instagram to amplify messages of assist from member federations together with Sri Lanka, Kuwait, Qatar and Morocco.
