Gianni Infantino's troubles appear far from over.
Just days after FIFA was forced to abandon its controversial plan to sell a stake in the FIFA World Cup's
commercial rights, fresh reports claim the FIFA president is seeking support from the Trump administration as pressure mounts over his future.
According to the New York Post,Infantino has attempted to rally political backing amid growing unrest within world football following the collapse of his proposed FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) project.
Why is Gianni Infantino under pressure?
The controversy centres around FIFA's now-abandoned proposal to create FIFA Forward Enterprise, a commercial subsidiary that would have managed the commercial rights of the FIFA World Cup and other major tournaments.
The plan reportedly involved selling a 20 percent stake in the business to private investors in a multi-billion-dollar deal.
The proposal sparked immediate backlash across football, with critics arguing that the World Cup should never become a privately owned commercial asset. Several football confederations accused FIFA of pushing through the proposal without proper consultation before Infantino eventually withdrew it.
Report claims Infantino sought Trump's help
According to the report, Infantino arranged talks with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio while also making several unsuccessful attempts to contact US President Donald Trump following FIFA's decision to abandon the proposal.
The report claims Infantino is looking for influential public support as criticism of his leadership continues to grow.
However, Reuters later reported that the US State Department denied any scheduled talks between Rubio and Infantino. FIFA has also not commented publicly on the claims.
Internal criticism reportedly growing
The failed investment proposal has reportedly created significant divisions within FIFA.
The controversy has already led to the resignation of senior adviser Carlos Cordeiro, while FIFA chief operating officer Kevin Lamour reportedly expressed frustration over not being informed about discussions surrounding the proposal.
Meanwhile, several football administrators are believed to be questioning Infantino's leadership following one of the biggest governance crises of his presidency.
UEFA among strongest critics
European football has emerged as the strongest opponent of the proposal.
UEFA was among the first governing bodies to publicly reject the plan, insisting that the FIFA World Cup is a sporting institution rather than a commercial product that can be partially sold to private investors.
The governing body has since maintained that FIFA must rebuild trust with its member associations after abandoning the proposal.
What happens next?
Although FIFA has scrapped the investment plan, the fallout is unlikely to disappear anytime soon.
Infantino remains FIFA president, but with criticism coming from multiple football stakeholders and reports of growing dissatisfaction within the organisation, attention is now turning towards the next FIFA presidential election.
Whether the latest controversy results in a serious challenge to Infantino's leadership remains to be seen, but the failed World Cup investment proposal has undoubtedly become one of the defining crises of his tenure.
