- President Donald Trump has also ignored repeated attempts by Infantino to establish contact.
- Infantino sought to arrange talks with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Monday.
- The reported silence from Trump follows a significant blow from European football authorities.
Gianni Infantino's concerns seem to be rising as the FIFA president faces growing political and footballing pressure following the collapse of his controversial FIFA World Cup commercial sell-off proposal.
Just days after UEFA and several national football associations distanced themselves from the Swiss administrator, reports now suggest that United States President Donald Trump has also ignored repeated attempts by Infantino to establish contact.
The latest development comes at a critical time for the FIFA chief, whose leadership has come under intense scrutiny ahead of next year's presidential election. According to reports from the New York Post, Infantino unsuccessfully tried multiple times to reach Trump by phone after opposition to his leadership gathered pace across European football.
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The report further claimed that Infantino sought to arrange talks with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Monday, hoping to discuss football's growing influence in the United States ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which will be co-hosted by the U.S., Canada and Mexico.
However, sources quoted in the report suggested the real objective was to secure political backing amid the growing crisis surrounding his presidency.
"He wanted to get online with the secretary and talk about how soccer can be a form of soft power for America. But we all know that it is about job protection. It is not about anything else at this point," one source reportedly said.
Another insider claimed that Infantino has been actively searching for influential allies willing to publicly support him as criticism continues to intensify.
"He is looking for allies to publicly support him because he feels isolated by the negative press," the source added.
UEFA, England and Wales Turn Against Infantino
The reported silence from Trump follows a significant blow from European football authorities.
UEFA recently announced that it has lost confidence in Infantino's leadership after the failed World Cup sell-off initiative sparked widespread backlash. The governing body has questioned his vision for FIFA's future and expressed concerns over the handling of the proposal.
The situation worsened further when the Football Association of Wales became the first national federation to publicly announce it would not support Infantino's bid for another term as FIFA president.
Soon after, reports indicated that England's Football Association is also set to withdraw its backing, representing another major setback for the FIFA chief.
With two influential British football associations refusing to back his re-election and UEFA openly criticizing his leadership, Infantino now faces one of the biggest political challenges of his tenure.
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Pressure Continues To Increase
The latest reports surrounding Trump's alleged refusal to engage with Infantino only add to the perception that the FIFA president is becoming increasingly isolated.
Although neither the White House nor FIFA has officially commented on the claims, the reported inability to secure conversations with senior U.S. officials comes at a delicate moment, particularly with the United States playing a central role in hosting the 2026 FIFA World Cup.