Donald Trump Wants FIFA President Gianni Infantino as Next UN Secretary-General
- Trump reportedly believes FIFA boss Gianni Infantino has a unique ability to unite world leaders and could reshape the United Nations
- Infantino grew close to Trump during the 2026 World Cup, receiving FIFA's inaugural Peace Prize and regularly appearing alongside the US president
- The move would upend expectations of a Latin American candidate taking the top UN role when António Guterres retires in December
President Donald Trump is pushing for FIFA President Gianni Infantino to succeed António Guterres as secretary-general of the United Nations, according to a report by the New York Post published on 21 July 2026.
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Trump believes Infantino, 56, is "respected by everyone around the world" and possesses "a special ability to bring people together," a source close to the president told the publication. Guterres, a Portuguese national, is set to vacate the role at the end of December after the next secretary-general is elected later this year.
Infantino's rise in Trump's inner circle
The Swiss-born football administrator cultivated a strong relationship with Trump throughout the 2026 World Cup, making considerable efforts to include the president in major moments surrounding the tournament. Infantino awarded Trump FIFA's inaugural Peace Prize in December and brought golden trophies to the White House on multiple occasions.
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Paolo Zampolli, Trump's special envoy for global partnerships and a personal friend of Infantino's, described the idea as something "only President Trump could have." Zampolli told the New York Post that Infantino "would do a great job" and is "liked by everybody," adding that FIFA's structure of managing over 200 member associations is comparable in scale to overseeing the UN's 193 member states.
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A crowded and complicated field
To secure the secretary-general role, Infantino would require endorsement from the UN Security Council's 15 members, including approval from all five permanent veto-holding nations, followed by ratification by the General Assembly.
Whether Infantino himself wants the position remains unclear. He has already declared his candidacy for re-election as FIFA president, a vote scheduled for March. The secretary-general role carries a reported annual salary of approximately $418,000, a significant reduction from the roughly $6 million he currently earns at FIFA. Infantino did not respond to a request for comment.
The FIFA boss faces blowback over Trump’s intervention on behalf of the US team in the World Cup to overturn a one-game suspension of Folarin Balogun ahead of the match with Belgium. Belgium has since accused FIFA of creating a sham appeal.
UEFA slams FIFA over Balogun decision
Briefly News reported that UEFA has issued unusually strong criticism as controversy around Balogun's World Cup availability continues to grow.
The timing of developments surrounding the USA striker has brought fresh attention to a decision made during the tournament.
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Source: Briefly News
