What happened: FIFA disputes alleged U.S.-outreach by Gianni Infantino
FIFA rejected a report alleging that FIFA president Gianni Infantino sought support from the U.S. Trump administration after a plan to sell a stake in World Cup commercial rights collapsed. FIFA called the claims “pure fiction” and denied specific allegations about contact attempts and scheduled meetings.
FIFA’s denials reported in the dispute include the following:
Infantino phone outreach: FIFA denied that Infantino made any recent phone calls to U.S. President Donald Trump or to members of the U.S. Trump administration.Proposed private talks: FIFA also denied claims that Infantino scheduled private talks with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
The FIFA denial followed media allegations connected to the collapse of the World Cup commercial-rights stake plan. The media allegations described repeated attempts to reach Trump and alleged feelings of isolation amid criticism, along with claims about private talks with Marco Rubio, all of which FIFA denied.
Background and earlier position: World Cup commercial-rights stake plan collapsed
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