Infantino faces backlash as US media claims he sought Trump's support

FIFA, football's world governing body, has faced widespread criticism over a plan to sell a share of the World Cup's commercial rights to private investors. Under fire, the organisation eventually abandoned the plan. But the pressure has not eased on FIFA President Gianni Infantino. The US media outlet New York Post has claimed he is trying to secure the support of US President Donald Trump to shore up his position.

According to a report in the newspaper, citing reliable sources, Infantino had taken the initiative to speak personally with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. The report even mentioned the possibility of a telephone conversation between them after 9am US Eastern Time on Monday.

However, the US State Department has denied this claim. Assistant Secretary of State Dylan Johnson said in a post on social media platform X that there was no plan for Secretary Rubio to speak with Infantino. He also criticised the New York Post, saying the news outlet should have verified the information before publication or could have contacted them on the matter .

Infantino recently proposed selling a stake in the World Cup's commercial rights. According to international media reports, the involvement of a firm linked to Joshua Kushner, the brother of President Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner, came up in discussions regarding this potential investment. Intense criticism then erupted in the football world over the plan .

In the face of the backlash, FIFA eventually cancelled the plan. But the controversy has not subsided. UEFA, European football's governing body, has publicly expressed dissatisfaction with Infantino's leadership . Meanwhile, the Football Association of Wales has clearly declared it will not vote for Infantino in the next FIFA presidential election .

The New York Post further claimed that Infantino has made multiple attempts to contact President Trump since the share sale plan was abandoned but has been unsuccessful. The report said the FIFA president is feeling increasingly isolated and under pressure due to the ongoing controversy and widespread negative criticism.