FIFA Boss Begs For Trump’s Support Amid Exit Calls

FIFA President Gianni Infantino is reportedly seeking support from United States President Donald Trump as calls for his resignation continue to grow following the collapse of a plan to sell part of FIFA’s commercial business to private investors.

According to the New York Post, Infantino arranged a meeting with officials from the Trump administration. Although the meeting was officially scheduled to discuss ways to promote football in the United States, sources believe the FIFA president also hopes to gain political support to protect his position.

One insider who was briefed on the matter said the real purpose of the meeting goes beyond football.

“He wanted to get online with the secretary and talk about how soccer can be a form of soft power for America. But we all know that it is about job protection. It is not about anything else at this point,” the source said.

Another source claimed that Infantino feels increasingly isolated as criticism of his leadership grows.

The source said the FIFA president believes the negative media coverage has left him with few supporters and is now searching for influential people who can publicly back him.

“he is looking for allies of note to publicly support him,” the source said.

Reports also revealed that Infantino has tried to contact President Trump directly by phone, but those efforts have not been successful.

The pressure on Infantino has increased after football governing bodies in Europe and North and Central America stepped up demands for him to resign. UEFA and CONCACAF have criticised his leadership following his controversial proposal to change the way FIFA manages its commercial rights.

Infantino had proposed creating a new commercial company called FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE). The new company would have managed some of FIFA’s biggest sources of income. These include broadcasting rights, sponsorship agreements, licensing, ticket sales and hospitality services.

Under the proposal, FIFA planned to sell up to 20 percent of the new company to private investors while keeping majority ownership and full control of the business.

Supporters of the proposal believed it could attract fresh investment and create more opportunities to grow the sport around the world. However, many football stakeholders strongly opposed the idea. Critics argued that selling part of FIFA’s most valuable assets to private investors could reduce transparency and place too much influence in the hands of outside investors.

The proposal was valued at about 20 billion US dollars, making it one of the biggest commercial plans in FIFA’s history. Despite its size, the plan failed to gain public support and faced widespread criticism from football officials and fans.

As the backlash grew, FIFA decided to abandon the proposal. The decision has increased pressure on Infantino, with some football leaders now questioning whether he should continue as FIFA president.