President Donald Trump is reportedly lobbying for FIFA president Gianni Infantino to become the next United Nations secretary-general, underscoring how close the two men have grown since the 2026 World Cup. The revelation has renewed longstanding criticism of FIFA’s governance, including the restricted, uncontested process that handed Saudi Arabia the 2034 World Cup.
President Donald Trump wants FIFA president Gianni Infantino to become the next secretary-general of the United Nations, the New York Post reported, citing sources familiar with the president’s thinking, in an account corroborated by Fox News, Euronews, Yardbarker and The Mirror. The push, which surfaced within hours of Spain’s victory in the 2026 World Cup final, has drawn attention back to Infantino’s expanding political influence and, with it, to unresolved questions over the transparency of FIFA’s decision-making, including the process that made Saudi Arabia the sole host of the 2034 tournament.
Trump Lobbies For Infantino To Lead The United Nations
According to the New York Post’s original report, relayed by Fox News, a source close to President Trump said he regards Infantino as respected internationally and believes he has a distinct ability to bring people together. Antonio Guterres, the current UN secretary-general, is due to step down at the end of December 2026, and Fox News reported that Infantino would first require a recommendation from the 15-member UN Security Council, where the United States, China, Russia, Britain and France hold veto power.
A Friendship Forged During The 2026 World Cup
Ynetnews reported that Trump and Infantino grew close during the preparations for, and staging of, the 2026 World Cup, which was jointly hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico. Infantino appeared alongside Trump repeatedly throughout the tournament, including when the FIFA president presented him with the organisation’s inaugural Peace Prize in December 2025, an award Yahoo News described as recognising “exceptional actions for peace and unity.”
The Balogun Suspension Controversy
The relationship drew heavy criticism during the tournament itself. Yahoo News and Euronews reported that United States forward Folarin Balogun received a one-match ban after a foul during the round of 32 win over Bosnia and Herzegovina, which would have ruled him out of the round of 16 tie against Belgium. FIFA then suspended the ban after Trump telephoned Infantino to ask him to review the decision, a move both outlets said prompted strong criticism from across the footballing world. Infantino later said he told the president that the case involved FIFA’s independent judicial bodies and would be decided in due course, a principle he said he would always uphold.
Competing Candidates And Security Council Hurdles
Fox News reported that Paolo Zampolli, an Italian-American businessman serving as Trump’s special envoy for global partnerships and a personal friend of Infantino, endorsed the idea, arguing that FIFA’s 211 member associations and the UN’s 193 member states presented comparable management challenges. Fox News also reported that Argentina’s Rafael Grossi, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, could be a rival contender, though he may face resistance from the United Kingdom over the long-running Falkland Islands dispute.
Fox News further reported that Zampolli had previously pitched Infantino on replacing Iran with Italy as a World Cup participant, an approach the outlet said was intended to help repair relations between Trump and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. The episode illustrates the kind of political lobbying that has increasingly surrounded FIFA’s hosting and eligibility decisions in recent years.
Renewed Calls For Transparency Over FIFA Governance
Infantino’s growing political stature, and his demonstrated willingness to intervene personally in footballing matters at a head of state’s request, is likely to renew scrutiny of how FIFA reaches its biggest institutional decisions, including the process that resulted in Saudi Arabia being awarded the 2034 World Cup.
The Saudi 2034 Bid Was Approved Without A Contest
FIFA confirmed Saudi Arabia as the sole bidder for the 2034 tournament in October 2023, after opening an accelerated timeline that combined host selection for the 2030 and 2034 editions into a single process. Under the eligibility rules in force at the time, bids for 2034 were restricted to member associations from the Asian and Oceania football confederations; Australia had explored a bid before withdrawing, leaving Saudi Arabia unopposed. FIFA confirmed the kingdom as host by acclamation at an extraordinary Congress in December 2024, without a recorded ballot. The Saudi Arabian Football Federation’s president, Yasser Al Misehal, said at the time, as reported by CBC, that the federation was fully committed to fulfilling all of FIFA’s requirements for the right to host the tournament.
Federations And Rights Groups Had Already Objected
The process drew formal criticism before the vote was even held. ESPN reported that the Norwegian Football Federation said it would vote against the awarding of the 2030 and 2034 tournaments by acclamation, having repeatedly raised concerns to FIFA about the process beforehand. Separately, Amnesty International and the Sport & Rights Alliance said, in comments carried by Soccerway, that FIFA should halt the process to award Saudi Arabia the tournament unless major human rights reforms were announced first. Amnesty’s head of labour rights and sport, Steve Cockburn, said there would be “a real and predictable human cost” to proceeding without credible guarantees of reform. FIFA responded at the time, according to Soccerway, that it was implementing thorough bidding and evaluation processes consistent with those used for previous tournaments. The Business and Human Rights Centre separately reported that research conducted by the Saudi-focused rights group ALQST had already documented abuses at two planned tournament venues, Neom and Jeddah Central, ahead of the bidding decision.
Why Infantino’s Political Rise Matters For Saudi 2034
None of the reporting on the UN lobbying effort makes any new allegation about the Saudi bid itself. But it does add fresh context to a governance debate that has never fully gone away. An organisation whose president is shown intervening in an active disciplinary case at a head of state’s request, and is now being promoted by that same head of state for one of the world’s most powerful diplomatic posts, invites closer examination of how insulated FIFA’s institutional decisions, including hosting awards, are from political influence more broadly. For federations such as Norway’s, which already went on record objecting to the manner in which the 2034 host was confirmed, the latest reporting is unlikely to settle those concerns.
FIFA And Saudi Arabia’s Position
FIFA has consistently maintained that its bidding and evaluation processes for 2030 and 2034 mirrored those used for earlier tournaments, including the 2023 Women’s World Cup. Saudi Arabian officials have said they are committed to meeting all of FIFA’s hosting requirements. Neither FIFA nor the White House has commented specifically on how, if at all, Infantino’s expanding political profile might affect oversight of the 2034 preparations. For international federations, human rights organisations and travelling fans, that silence leaves the underlying transparency questions raised around the Saudi award unresolved as the tournament moves further into its planning phase.