Gianni Infantino faces a complicated and uncertain path if he were to seek the position of United Nations Secretary-General, even with the explicit backing of US President Donald Trump. Reports from The New York Post indicate that the US President views the FIFA president as a respected candidate, citing his perceived ability to unite people following the success of the 2026 World Cup.
However, a presidential endorsement alone would not be enough to secure the world's most powerful diplomatic job for a candidate who is not a career diplomat.
Neither Trump nor Infantino have confirmed that a candidacy is being prepared. Should such a nomination occur, Infantino would enter a highly demanding and politically fraught selection process. The UN Secretary-General is appointed by the 193-member General Assembly following a recommendation from the Security Council. This selection is determined by a restricted group of 15 countries, including ten rotating members and five permanent members, through closed-door negotiations.
All candidates must be nominated by one or more UN member states and present their vision in public hearings, answering questions from ambassadors and civil society.
The Council then conducts a series of confidential straw polls before agreeing on a single candidate. Any of the five permanent members—the US, China, Russia, France, or the UK—can kill a candidacy with a veto, making geopolitical acceptability just as important, if not more so, than diplomatic credentials. While the subsequent approval of the General Assembly is considered a largely procedural step, the Assembly could theoretically vote against a recommended candidate, though this has never occurred in UN history.
With António Guterres leaving office at the end of this year after two terms, the race is in full swing. The Security Council is expected to start considering candidates at the end of July, and a debate titled “UN Town Hall: The Next Secretary-General” is scheduled for Thursday afternoon in New York with all current candidates. While there is no binding deadline to present a candidate, the US or any other country could submit Infantino’s nomination while the process is ongoing.
Seven names have been put forward so far, though one has already dropped out: Virginia Gamba, the former UN special representative for the protection of children in armed conflict, whose candidacy was withdrawn after being proposed by the Maldives. Among the remaining candidates is Michelle Bachelet, the former Chilean president and ex-UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.
Despite being a distinguished politician with decades of experience, she remains a divisive figure due to her criticism of authoritarian governments. Although Chile's new conservative government, led by José Antonio Kast, withdrew its support, she remains in the race with backing from leaders in Mexico and Brazil.
Other prominent candidates include Mariano Grossi, the current director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, nominated by Argentina for his diplomatic role in talks regarding the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant; former Senegalese president Macky Sall, nominated by Burundi; Rebeca Grynspan Mayufis, head of the UN Trade and Development department, nominated by Costa Rica; and former foreign ministers María Fernanda Espinosa Garcés of Ecuador and Carolyn Rodrigues Birkett of Guyana, both nominated by their respective governments.
Infantino faces significant systemic obstacles. An informal tradition of geographical rotation suggests the position should move away from Europe, meaning the Swiss-Italian Infantino would have few chances to succeed the Portuguese Guterres. Furthermore, many governments argue that a woman should hold the post for the first time, as all ten previous secretaries-general have been men.
Infantino could also face accusations of being unfit for the role, with his history of governance controversies at FIFA and his close relationship with Trump serving as major strikes against him.
Critics have repeatedly accused him of centralizing power at the football association and overlooking human rights concerns linked to World Cup tournaments in Russia and Qatar. Conversely, supporters might argue that he has successfully expanded football's global reach and managed one of the world's largest international organizations, which has even more members than the UN. The United Nations, FIFA, and the European Commission all refused to comment on the issue.
