Donald Trump wants FIFA president Gianni Infantino to become the next secretary-general of the United Nations. The United States President attended Spain's 1-0 victory over Argentina in the 2026 World Cup final at MetLife Stadium. He sat alongside Infantino, First Lady Melania Trump, and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
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Subscribe Sekarang →The tournament was not without controversy regarding the White House. Trump previously phoned Infantino to ask about appealing Folarin Balogun's red card against Bosnia and Herzegovina. FIFA ultimately suspended the striker's ban for a year, allowing him to play against Belgium in the last 16.
Infantino faced fierce criticism over the decision. UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin skipped the final in protest, while several European federations discussed challenging Infantino in the 2027 FIFA presidential election. However, over 200 of the 211 eligible member associations have already endorsed the Swiss official for a fourth term.
According to The New York Post, Trump sees Infantino as the ideal candidate to replace Antonio Guterres at the UN next year. Guterres reaches his two-term limit in 2027. Trump believes Infantino commands global respect and possesses a unique ability to unite nations, having received the controversial FIFA Peace Prize from him last year.
The UN charter defines the secretary-general as the chief administrative officer, responsible for international peace and security. The role pays a base salary of $227,000 per year, far below Infantino's $2.6m FIFA package. While Infantino looks set to remain at FIFA, the prestige of leading the UN could prove tempting.