Giuliani Defends Infantino as FIFA Presidency Faces Growing Opposition

FIFA president Gianni Infantino is seeking a fourth term at the FIFA Congress slated for March. A coalition of continental bodies—including UEFA, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and CONCACAF—has publicly expressed a loss of confidence in his leadership. New Zealand’s football federation recently withdrew its support, and several national associations such as England, Wales and the Republic of Ireland have announced they will not back his candidacy. In contrast, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) and CONMEBOL have endorsed Infantino’s bid.

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Andrew Giuliani, chief of the U.S. World Cup 2026 task force, has mounted a vigorous defense. He also notes that he was unaware of the aborted FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) proposal until it entered the media.

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These bodies, along with other national associations, criticize Infantino’s aborted plan to sell a 20 percent stake in World Cup commercial rights to private investors—a plan that involved a company led by Joshua Kushner, brother of former President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner. The proposal was later scrapped.

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Former President Donald Trump has warned that removing Infantino would be “a terrible mistake.” Gianni Infantino issued an apology for the FFE proposal and indicated that the plan had been abandoned. Giuliani, speaking to The Athletic, said he has spoken directly with Infantino and outlined a “good plan” for the next few months leading to the March vote.

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• “Look, we are all human beings, and I think it's one of those things where sport has become monetized and commercialized.” — Andrew Giuliani, chief

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• “For any soccer confederation or football federation president who is thinking about not voting for Gianni Infantino, it would probably be one of the most foolish decisions of your professional life. This guy literally just put on the largest global sporting event ever without any incident, making over four times the revenue of the last World Cup, and you’re thinking of ousting him.” — Andrew Giuliani, chief

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