According to CNBC, President Donald Trump defended FIFA President Gianni Infantino on Monday after soccer officials faced pressure to oust him over a failed plan to sell stakes in the World Cup to private investors. Trump wrote on Truth Social that FIFA would make a terrible mistake if member associations moved to replace Infantino, and said the tournament would never be as successful or profitable again if he left.

Infantino had led FIFA's most recent push to commercialize the tournament, which resulted in the largest and most profitable World Cup on record this year in the U.S., Canada and Mexico. But he apologized after plans to create a subsidiary to run the tournament collapsed following backlash, with the proposal having opened the door for investors to buy stakes of up to 20% in a spinout firm.

The backing from Trump came after UEFA, CONCACAF and the Asian Football Confederation issued a joint letter accusing Infantino of breaking trust through deception over the aborted proposal. Not all soccer federations oppose him, with the national federations of Argentina, Mexico and Qatar publicly supporting his continued leadership. The failed stake-sale plan was also backed by Thrive Capital, the firm run by Joshua Kushner, whose brother Jared is Trump's son-in-law.