President Donald Trump has voiced support for the embattled FIFA boss, Gianni Infantino, who is facing backlash from soccer associations worldwide and uncertainty over his future as head of the sport’s global governing body.

Following scrutiny over FIFA’s handling of the 2026 World Cup and the disputes which punctuated the tournament, Infantino has now come under fire for proposing—in a now-abandoned plan—the sale of a 20 percent stake in future competitions to private investors.

In response to growing criticism, which comes ahead of the organization’s next election in March, FIFA has claimed that there is a "a concerted and ongoing effort by some to undermine FIFA and its President," who has now received the backing of President Trump.

"FIFA would be making a terrible mistake if, for any reason, they even considered replacing President Gianni Infantino," the president posted to Truth Social.

"He is fantastic, having just presided over the most successful World Cup, by four times, ever presented," he continued. "If he is gone, it will never be as successful or profitable again! Thank you for your attention to this matter. President DJT"

Newsweek has contacted FIFA and the White House via email outside of regular working hours for comment.

Infantino’s Trump Ties

Even prior to this year’s men’s World Cup, the relationship between Trump and the FIFA president had drawn scrutiny.

Infantino had suggested Trump deserved the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts to broker a ceasefire in Gaza, and in December, awarded the president the inaugural "FIFA Peace Prize" during a ceremony at the Kennedy Center.

FIFA said the prize was intended to "recognize the outstanding contribution of those who work hard to end conflicts and bring people together in a spirit of peace," though many saw the ceremony as an effort by Infantino to ingratiate himself to the U.S. administration.

Concerns about the proximity between the pair grew during the World Cup, particularly after Trump called Infantino and requested that FIFA review a red card and mandatory one-game ban handed to the American striker Folarin Balogun. In a highly criticized move, FIFA delayed the player’s automatic suspension, allowing Balogun to play in the team’s next fixture against Belgium.

"Thank you to FIFA for doing what was right, and reversing a great injustice!" Trump posted to Truth Social at the time.

Jamie Raskin, Ranking Member of the House Judiciary Committee, has also launched an investigation into the relationship, which he alleges has involved a series of "quid pro quos" between the pair.

In a letter to Infantino, Raskin accused FIFA of a "brazen campaign to curry favor with Donald Trump since his reelection," and requested documents outlining any communications and gifts that may have been exchanged between FIFA and the president, his administration or his family.

A day before Raskin announced his investigation, Infantino penned an open letter responding to his critics, who he said were "so consumed by hate and criticism" that they were unable to enjoy the World Cup.

"To those behind their pens and papers, behind their screens spreading hate and false rumors, I want to say that while you are sitting behind, we at FIFA are on the front lines organizing, working hard, and delivering the best show in the world," he wrote.

Infantino’s Investor Plan and the Trump Family

Questions over the ties between Trump and Infantino extended beyond the end of the tournament on July 19, with the latter’s now-scrapped plan to fold private investment into global soccer drawing significant scrutiny from fans, lawmakers and soccer associations.

The plan would have involved the creation of a new entity—FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE)—consolidating its commercial rights and event operations, including the men's World Cup and Club World Cup. Private investors would have been able to purchase a 20 percent stake in FFE.

And the venture would have reportedly raised billions from an investment firm, Thrive Capital, that was founded by Joshua Kushner, the brother of Jared Kushner, who is Trump's son-in-law.

And Raskin said the plan meant FIFA was "going directly into business with the Trump family."

"Apparently the fake Peace Prize and giant lease with Trump Tower weren’t enough—now Infantino performs a kickback hat trick by pursuing a multibillion-dollar deal with Jared Kushner’s brother to sell ownership stakes in the World Cup to private investors," the Maryland Democrat said in a statement to Politico.

In late July, FIFA told Newsweek the plan would not turn it into a for-profit organization or amount to selling the World Cup, as some had claimed. And though FIFA abandoned the plan on July 31, Infantino is nevertheless facing a crisis of confidence from some of soccer’s global associations.

He needs 106 of the 211-membership votes to survive in March’s presidential election, but the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA), the Asian Football Confederation and the Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF) are pushing for him to resign. If all of their membership votes go against him, Infantino will lose.

In a letter published Monday, the three organizations said that the "integrity of the game" was now in jeopardy.

"When trust is broken through deception, when an individual places himself above the collective that entrusted him with authority, that duty has been abandoned," the letter read, while calling for a "fully independent third party" to review Infantino’s stake sale proposal.

FIFA has not yet responded to the letter, but had previously defended Infantino against what it called a "concerted and ongoing effort by some to undermine FIFA and its President."

"Change inevitably challenges established interests, but disagreement with that change cannot justify efforts to undermine the democratic mandate of FIFA’s President or the institution he was elected to lead," it wrote on X.

Meanwhile, national football associations including those of England, Croatia and Norway have withdrawn their support for the FIFA president.

"He does not have the institutional trust required to ​govern FIFA stably in the times we are in," Lise Klaveness, president of the Norwegian Football Federation, said during a press conference.

"There is no turning back for Gianni Infantino."

Contact Newsweek editors on this story: Tobias Meyjes and Trevor Davies.