U.S. denies report that Trump is backing Infantino as European opposition mounts
A New York Post report claiming FIFA President Gianni Infantino sought backing from the Donald Trump administration to retain his post was quickly thrown into doubt by the U.S. government.
The American outlet reported that Infantino had asked for political help and that a call was scheduled with Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
However, that account was publicly refuted by Dylan Johnson, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs at the Department of State.
On X, Johnson denied any scheduled call between Rubio and Infantino and fired a direct shot at the New York newspaper: “There are no plans for Marco Rubio to speak with Infantino and no call this morning. New York Post needs to check their sources, or they could have just asked us.”
Neither FIFA nor Gianni Infantino has issued an official statement regarding the report or the State Department’s denial.
For now, the only public confirmation comes from the U.S. government, which maintains that no conversation between Rubio and Infantino is scheduled—directly contradicting the New York Post's account.
Barring new evidence or official statements, the alleged contact between the two parties remains unsubstantiated.
Meanwhile, opponents of Infantino are threatening "non-cooperation" with the governing body unless he steps down, according to senior UEFA sources.
Some of those involved in the rebellion vow "there is no going back" for as long as Infantino remains in position, as the fallout over his scrapped plans to sell off stakes in FIFA competitions to private investors intensifies.
While the details of the proposed disruption remain unclear, one senior figure said they would "certainly expect" a refusal to participate in FIFA meetings.
It comes after European football's governing body UEFA threatened legal action over the proposals, and Wales publicly withdrew backing for Infantino's bid for a fourth term as FIFA president, with England's Football Association set to follow suit.
In March, Infantino is set to stand for re-election for a final term as president and would need 106 votes from FIFA's 211 members to win.
