Ex-FIFA chief doubts whether Trump or Infantino will steer world soccer

Sepp Blatter, who led FIFA before Gianni Infantino, raised alarms in a December 2025 interview about the growing rapport between Infantino and U.S. President Donald Trump, questioning whether the sport’s leadership might effectively shift to Trump. He expressed concern that personal connections were eclipsing football’s interests, even speculating that the World Cup trophy could be relocated to the White House. Following the 2026 World Cup hosted across the United States, Canada and Mexico, Infantino announced plans to sell a portion of the tournament’s commercial rights for roughly $20 billion.

Although Trump himself has not been reported as a buyer, Joshua Kushner - sibling of Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law - is part of a private investment consortium that could acquire a stake. The comments have reignited debate over the Trump family’s influence within FIFA and the potential politicisation of the sport’s biggest event.