FIFA President Gianni Infantino backed a strongly-opposed proposal to sell around a 20% stake in the group, putting pressure on his grip on the presidency for the first time
US President Donald Trump has said FIFA would be “making a terrible mistake” if Gianni Infantino was sacked as the governing body’s president.
Mr Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social on Monday, August 10: “FIFA would be making a terrible mistake if, for any reason, they even considered replacing President Gianni Infantino.
“He is fantastic, having just presided over the most successful World Cup, by four times, ever presented.
“If he is gone, it will never be as successful or profitable again!”
Mr Infantino has received major backlash after reports that the football governing body planned to raise up to $4.2 billion (£3.1 billion) by selling around a 20% stake in the group.
The new arm would have been valued at $20 billion (£14.8 billion).
The deal reportedly involved Thrive Capital, a firm run by Joshua Kushner, the brother of Jared Kushner – US President Donald Trump’s son-in-law.
Mr Infantino announced over a week ago that FIFA Forward Enterprise project plan will not go ahead.
He said that the “project has created divisions of a nature that, regardless of the level of support, are no longer in the interest of the objective set out in the first place”.
“As a result, this proposal will not proceed.”
Before calling it off, Mr Infantino reportedly gave FIFA’s 211 member nations until September 19 to support the deal. It was reported that pay-outs of up to $40 million each were dangled in member nations’ faces.
The situation was dubbed ‘a bribe with a deadline’ and Mr Infantino received major backlash, even amongst his inner circle.
This has placed pressure on his grip on the presidency ahead of the election in March.
UEFA and two other confederations have held initial talks about organising competitions themselves amid the backlash.
Europe’s governing body, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and CONCACAF, which oversees football in the Caribbean, North and Central America, have accused Mr Infantino of “deception”.
While it is understood they want to give him the chance to resign and leave his position with dignity without seeking re-election in March next year, they want to insulate themselves from the unfolding crisis.