Donald Trump pushes Gianni Infantino for new job as FIFA relationship takes fresh twist
US President Donald Trump is reportedly pushing for FIFA president Gianni Infantino to land a new role away from football.
Specifically, The New York Post reports that Trump wants Infantino to become the next secretary-general of the United Nations, hot on the heels of the pair masterminding a $14bn World Cup across North America.
A source close to the US President reportedly told the Post that he believes Infantino is “respected by everyone around the world, and recognizes he has a special ability to bring people together.”
The next United Nations secretary-general will be elected this year.
Antonio Guterres will retire in December after nine years in the role, and it’s currently unclear if Infantino wants the job.
If he does, Infantino would need to charm the 15 members of the Security Council before the General Assembly confirms, or denies, the appointment.
He would also have to set himself apart in a field including what one insider describes as seven “lame” candidates.
Paolo Zampolli, an Italian-American businessman and diplomat who serves as Trump’s special envoy for global partnerships, said that “only President Trump could have such a genius idea”, and that “there is some similarity” between the roles of FIFA president and UN secretary-general.
“At the United Nations, you have to deal with 193 member states,” Zampolli said. “In FIFA, there are over 200 members [and] Gianni’s great record shows he knows how to manage.”
Trump and Infantino’s relationship under microscope throughout the World Cup
Infantino’s relationship with Trump has been under close scrutiny throughout this summer’s World Cup, starting with the Swiss-born FIFA head honcho awarding Trump FIFA’s inaugural Peace Prize in December.
Their relationship only strengthened throughout the tournament amid a series of controversial events.
Before World Cup proceedings even began, referee Omar Artan, one of Africa’s most respected officials, was denied entry to the US to officiate at the tournament.
Andrew Giuliani, the head of the White House task force for the World Cup, told talkSPORT at the time Artan was ‘talking to some bad people‘ but refused to elaborate further.
However, the most controversial issue came when Trump asked Infantino to review US striker Folarin Balogun’s red card in the Round of 16 against Bosnia-Herzegovina, as exclusively reported on talkSPORT.
“I was forced to call Gianni and just make a recommendation,” said Trump at a fan event at Trump Tower in New York with Infantino alongside him.
“I said ‘Gianni, let the guy in the game!’ No, I didn’t say that [laughter]. I said, ‘Gianni, I’d like to wage a complaint’. And I had no idea what was going to happen.
“But it was so much better the way it worked out because there’s no controversy. They [Belgium] won the game, and our team had all its players… Gianni made yet another of his many good decisions.”
Ultimately, the decision to intervene failed to work out for the USMNT, who were swiftly humbled by Belgium 4-1 in the next round, ending their dreams of winning the World Cup on home soil.
Trump was conspicuous in his absence throughout the tournament.
Spain’s 1-0 extra-time victory over Argentina in the World Cup Final was the first game the US President attended a match in person.
The US President broke protocol and presented Spain with the famous trophy as Infantino tried to usher him from the stage before Spain captain Rodri and the rest of the team could enjoy their crowning moment.
Trump and Infantino spent a lot of time together during the closing stages of the tournament, and appear to get on well.
However, it still remains unclear whether the FIFA president would take the steep pay cut to work alongside Trump in a purported new role.
The 56-year-old Infantino earns about $6 million a year at FIFA, with the UN’s secretary-general’s salary amounted to about $418,000.
Infantino has also recently declared his candidacy for re-election as FIFA president, with a selection process taking place next March.
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