FIFA has officially refuted media reports suggesting that President Gianni Infantino attempted to contact U.S. President Donald Trump for assistance following the collapse of a controversial plan to sell off the governing body's commercial assets. In a statement provided to Reuters, the organization labeled the claims as "pure fiction," asserting that the FIFA President has not made any phone calls to the U.S. President or any members of his administration in recent days.
The denial follows a report from the New York Post on Monday, which alleged that Infantino had made repeated, unsuccessful attempts to reach Trump by phone after his proposal was abandoned last Friday. The report further claimed that the FIFA leader felt isolated as he faced significant backlash regarding the aborted plan, which had sought to spin off soccer's commercial interests into a new entity supported by private investors.
With the proposal now shelved, the focus has shifted toward the potential long-term consequences for Infantino. His leadership is currently under heightened scrutiny, specifically regarding his prospects for securing another term as FIFA president for the 2027 to 2031 period.
