NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
The close friendship between President Donald Trump and FIFA President Gianni Infantino might become a working relationship.
Trump reportedly wants Infantino to be the next secretary-general of the United Nations, per the New York Post.
Trump has faith that Infantino is “respected by everyone around the world,” and following the first-ever FIFA World Cup in three different countries, the 45th and 47th president of the U.S. believes the world “recognizes he has a special ability to bring people together,” a source told The Post.
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment by Fox News Digital on this matter.
Infantino, the Swiss-born leader of soccer’s largest governing body, grew close to Trump while organizing the World Cup. Trump was included in many different aspects, including Infantino awarding him FIFA’s inaugural Peace Prize back in December.
Trump was also seen handing out the Club World Cup trophy last year at MetLife Stadium, and he was present to give Spain’s Rodrì the World Cup trophy on Sunday afternoon at the same venue after Spain defeated Argentina 1-0 to win the tournament.
FOX WORLD CUP ANNOUNCER SAYS TRUMP’S APPEARANCE AT FINAL IS ‘FUN, UNIQUE THING’ DESPITE POTENTIAL BACKLASH
During the match, Trump was seated between First Lady Melania Trump and Infantino, while the World Cup trophy was spotted in his suite for viewing prior to handing it out on the pitch.
The next secretary-general of the UN will be elected later this year, and that person will begin their post on Jan. 1, 2027. Portugal’s António Guterres will be stepping down come December.
Whether Infantino will be considered for the role remains to be seen. He must first be endorsed by all 15 members of the Security Council before receiving confirmation from the General Assembly. The Security Council’s five permanent members each have veto power.
Infantino must also want the post himself, and it’s unclear whether that is the case here. FIFA did not immediately respond to a request for comment by Fox News Digital.
If Infantino wishes to run for secretary-general, The Post learned that Trump believes he would be running against seven “lame” candidates, including Chile’s former socialist president, Michelle Bachelet.
Argentina’s Rafael Grossi also could be a contender for the role, though the director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency may face resistance from the United Kingdom over the Falkland Islands — a heavily disputed situation between the two countries which found its way into the World Cup.
Paolo Zampolli, who serves as Trump’s special envoy for global partnerships, said to The Post Infantino “would do a great job,” believing he is “liked by everybody.”
Zampolli has reportedly dealt with FIFA in the past, as the Italian-American businessman and diplomat pitched to Infantino to replace Iran with Italy for the World Cup in an effort to repair the relationship between Trump and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. Zampolli was also a former ambassador to the UN for Dominica.
“At the United Nations, you have to deal with 193 member states. In FIFA, there are over 200 members [and] Gianni’s great record shows he knows how to manage,” he told The Post.
Infantino, however, did come under fire by some soccer organizations around the globe after the reversal of Folarin Balogun’s red card for Team USA in the World Cup ahead of their Round of 16 match against Belgium. Trump confirmed he called Infantino for a review of the controversial red card, which would’ve had Balogun, the team’s leading goal scorer at the time, miss the win-or-go-home match.
Infantino faces an election of his own next year, as March 2027 will be when the FIFA Congress decides whether he will run a fourth term.
Meanwhile, Trump has not shied away from his views about the UN since returning to office, cutting the U.S. contributions to the organization, while pulling out of the World Health Organization (WHO), UNESCO and the UN Human Rights Council.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
If Infantino doesn’t want the post with the UN, and he is re-elected by the FIFA Congress to remain president, he will be organizing yet another tournament in 2027. The FIFA Women’s World Cup, which will be held in Brazil, takes place before an even bigger FIFA World Cup in 2030.
To honor the 100th anniversary of the tournament, the matches will begin in Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay before the majority of them are played in Spain, Morocco and Portugal. Much like this year’s World Cup, history will be made as no tournament has ever been played in six different countries and three different continents.
Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
Read the full article here
