{"id":1856,"date":"2026-08-04T15:00:18","date_gmt":"2026-08-04T15:00:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.asianewscast.com\/?p=1856"},"modified":"2026-08-04T15:00:18","modified_gmt":"2026-08-04T15:00:18","slug":"fifa-denies-infantino-sought-trump-backing-after-failed-world-cup-selloff","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.asianewscast.com\/?p=1856","title":{"rendered":"FIFA denies Infantino sought Trump backing after failed World Cup selloff"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"rich-share\" data-testid=\"rich-share\">\n<div class=\"rich-share__divider\">\n<div class=\"listen-to-article\"><button class=\"listen-to-article__button\" data-testid=\"listen-to-article-button\"><title>Listen<\/title>Listen (2 mins)<\/button><\/div>\n<div class=\"rich-share__update-reading-list-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"update-reading-list\">\n<p class=\"update-reading-list__button-text\">Save<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"rich-share__wrapper\">\n<div 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href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=FIFA%20denies%20Infantino%20sought%20Trump%20backing%20after%20failed%20World%20Cup%20selloff&amp;source=sharethiscom&amp;related=sharethis&amp;via=AJEnglish&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Faje.news%2Fym745c\"><title>x<\/title><\/a><a class=\"rich-share__social-link row u-hidden--desktop\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" aria-label=\"Share on Whatsapp\" href=\"\/\/send?text=https%3A%2F%2Faje.news%2Fym745c\"><title>whatsapp-stroke<\/title><\/a><a class=\"rich-share__social-link row copylink\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" aria-label=\"Copy link\" href=\"https:\/\/aje.news\/ym745c\"><title>copylink<\/title><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"google-preferred-source\"><button class=\"google-preferred-source__button\" aria-label=\"Add Al Jazeera on Google\" data-testid=\"google-preferred-source-button\"><title>google<\/title><span class=\"google-preferred-source__text\">Add Al Jazeera on Google<\/span><\/button><button aria-label=\"See more of Al Jazeera\u2019s trusted journalism by adding us as a preferred source on Google.\" class=\"tooltip-accessible_trigger\"><title>info<\/title><\/button><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-featured__media\">\n<figure class=\"article-featured-image\">\n<div class=\"responsive-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"eager\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/2026-07-19T235306Z_1888931483_UP1EM7J1UCGST_RTRMADP_3_SOCCER-WORLDCUP-ESP-ARG-1785850067.jpg?resize=770%2C513&amp;quality=80\" alt=\"IFA President Gianni Infantino and U.S. President Donald Trump speak with Spain coach Luis de la Fuente\"><\/div><figcaption>FIFA President Gianni Infantino, centre, and US President Donald Trump, right, speak with World Cup-winning Spain football coach Luis de la Fuente [Lee Smith\/Reuters]<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-info m--t-20 m--desktop-b-30 m--b-mobile-20\">\n<div class=\"byline byline--no-avatars\">\n<div class=\"byline-content\">\n<div class=\"contributors-list contributors-list--byline\"><span class=\"contributors-list__by-prefix\">By <\/span>Reuters<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-dates\">\n<div class=\"date-simple\"><span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Published On 4 Aug 2026<\/span><span aria-hidden=\"true\">4 Aug 2026<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"wysiwyg wysiwyg--all-content\" aria-live=\"polite\">\n<p>FIFA has dismissed as \u201cpure fiction\u201d a report that its President Gianni Infantino had sought support from US President Donald \u2060Trump\u2019s administration after the collapse of a plan to sell a stake in World Cup commercial rights.<\/p>\n<p>The denial came after the New York Post reported on Monday that Infantino \u2060had <a href=\"\/sports\/2026\/8\/3\/fifas-infantino-sought-trump-backing-after-failed-world-cup-stakes-sell-off-plan\">repeatedly tried and failed<\/a> to reach Trump by phone since his proposal <a href=\"\/sports\/2026\/7\/31\/fifa-forced-to-scrap-world-cup-private-investment-plan-after-backlash\">was abandoned<\/a> and that he felt isolated amid mounting criticism.<\/p>\n<section class=\"more-on\">\n<h2 class=\"more-on__heading\">Recommended Stories<!-- --> <\/h2>\n<p><span class=\"screen-reader-text\">list of 4 items<\/span><\/p>\n<ul class=\"more-on__list\">\n<li class=\"more-on__article\"><span class=\"screen-reader-text\">list 1 of 4<\/span><a class=\"more-on__link\" href=\"\/sports\/2026\/8\/4\/uefa-confirm-legal-letter-served-to-fifa-after-infantino-world-cup-plan\">UEFA confirms legal letter served to FIFA after Infantino\u2019s World Cup plan<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"more-on__article\"><span class=\"screen-reader-text\">list 2 of 4<\/span><a class=\"more-on__link\" href=\"\/video\/newsfeed\/2026\/8\/4\/pochettino-agrees-to-coach-mens-us-soccer-through-2030-world-cup\">Pochettino agrees to coach men\u2019s US Soccer through 2030 World Cup<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"more-on__article\"><span class=\"screen-reader-text\">list 3 of 4<\/span><a class=\"more-on__link\" href=\"\/sports\/2026\/8\/3\/fifas-infantino-sought-trump-backing-after-failed-world-cup-stakes-sell-off-plan\">Report: FIFA\u2019s Infantino sought Trump backing after failed World Cup plan<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"more-on__article\"><span class=\"screen-reader-text\">list 4 of 4<\/span><a class=\"more-on__link\" href=\"\/sports\/2026\/8\/3\/wales-fa-withdraws-support-for-infantino-re-election-after-fifa-stake-plan\">England set to follow Wales in withdrawing support for FIFA\u2019s Infantino<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span class=\"screen-reader-text\">end of list<\/span><\/section>\n<p>\u201cThe FIFA President has not made any call to the US President, or any members of his administration, in recent days. It is \u200cpure fiction,\u201d FIFA said in a statement to Reuters on Tuesday.<\/p>\n<p>The <a href=\"\/sports\/2026\/8\/1\/uefa-welcomes-fifa-world-cup-standdown-after-voting-to-boycott\">backlash<\/a> has intensified over Infantino\u2019s failed plan to spin off the world football governing body\u2019s commercial assets into a new entity backed by private investors.<\/p>\n<p>FIFA\u2019s proposal to unlock up to $4.2bn from private investors by selling a roughly 20 percent stake in an entity overseeing competitions including the World Cup collapsed after strong resistance from stakeholders.<\/p>\n<p>With the plan shelved, attention has turned \u2060to the potential repercussions for Infantino, whose prospects of securing another \u2060term as FIFA president from 2027 to 2031 have come under increased scrutiny.<\/p>\n<p>Trump and Infantino have forged a close relationship, appearing together at major football events including this year\u2019s World Cup co-hosted by the United States, \u2060Mexico and Canada.<\/p>\n<p>Infantino presented Trump with the inaugural FIFA Peace Prize in December 2025, making him the first recipient of the \u2060award.<\/p>\n<div class=\"container--ads in-article-ads\">\n<div class=\"ads\"><span class=\"ads__title\"> Advertisement <\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>The relationship attracted further attention because Thrive Capital \u2013 founded by \u2060Joshua Kushner, the brother of Trump\u2019s son-in-law Jared Kushner \u2013 had been expected to play a leading role in the proposed commercial rights venture.<\/p>\n<p>The New York Post also reported that Infantino had scheduled private talks with US Secretary \u200cof State Marco Rubio.<\/p>\n<p>However, US Assistant Secretary of State for Global Public Affairs Dylan Johnson said in a post on X on Monday that there were no plans \u200cfor \u200cRubio to speak with the 56-year-old FIFA president.<\/p>\n<p>Infantino has taken to Instagram to amplify messages of support from member federations including Sri Lanka, Kuwait, Qatar and Morocco.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>ListenListen (2 mins) Save Click here to share on social media share-nodes Share facebookxwhatsapp-strokecopylink googleAdd Al Jazeera on Googleinfo FIFA President Gianni Infantino, centre, and US President Donald Trump, right, speak with World Cup-winning Spain football coach Luis de la Fuente [Lee Smith\/Reuters] By Reuters Published On 4 Aug 20264 Aug 2026 FIFA has dismissed [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1856","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.2 - 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