From football powerbroker to global diplomat
Donald Trump reportedly wants to nominate FIFA president Gianni Infantino for one of the most powerful diplomatic positions in the world.
According to the New York Post, a source close to Trump claims the US president believes Infantino is “respected by everyone around the world” and has “a special ability to bring people together.”
Those are not public comments from Trump, and no formal nomination has been submitted. There has also been no indication that Infantino wants to leave FIFA.
Even so, the report is explosive. It raises the prospect of a football administrator with no experience in government or international diplomacy being placed at the head of an organisation dealing with wars, humanitarian disasters, human rights and global security.
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A friendship that has already crossed political lines
Trump’s reported support cannot be separated from his increasingly close relationship with Infantino.
The FIFA president has repeatedly appeared alongside Trump and praised his contribution to the 2026 World Cup. In December 2025, Infantino personally presented Trump with the newly created FIFA Peace Prize during the tournament draw in Washington.
According to FIFA’s official account of the ceremony, Trump was honoured for his efforts to promote “peace and unity.” The decision was widely criticised because of the opaque selection process and questions over whether a supposedly politically neutral sporting organisation should be decorating a serving US president.
The relationship became even more controversial during the World Cup. Trump acknowledged contacting Infantino about the red card shown to United States striker Folarin Balogun against Bosnia and Herzegovina. FIFA’s disciplinary committee subsequently suspended Balogun’s one-match ban for a year, allowing him to face Belgium.
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Infantino denied that Trump influenced the ruling and insisted FIFA’s judicial bodies were independent. However, as described by Euronews, the sequence of events prompted calls for an investigation from European politicians and a complaint alleging breaches of political neutrality.
Against that background, Trump promoting Infantino for the UN’s highest office will inevitably fuel accusations of political favouritism. The president who received a peace prize from Infantino now reportedly wants to reward him with the world’s most prestigious diplomatic position.
There is no evidence of a formal exchange between the two men. The appearance of mutual advancement, however, will be difficult to ignore.
Trump cannot simply give Infantino the job
Despite the dramatic report, Trump cannot appoint the next UN Secretary-General himself.
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According to the United Nations’ official selection process, candidates must be recommended by the Security Council before being appointed by the General Assembly. Any of the five permanent Security Council members, the United States, China, Russia, France and the United Kingdom, can effectively block a candidate with a veto.
A US nomination would therefore give Infantino a powerful sponsor, but it would not guarantee him the position.
António Guterres completes his second term on December 31, 2026. His successor is expected to take office on January 1, 2027.
Infantino’s candidacy would also collide with a sensitive debate inside the UN. No woman has ever served as Secretary-General, and the organisation has explicitly encouraged member states to give serious consideration to female candidates.
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The UN General Assembly’s statement launching the process stressed both gender and regional diversity. Trump’s decision to promote another male European candidate would therefore be viewed by some countries as a direct challenge to those priorities.
Infantino already controls a global empire
Infantino was elected FIFA president in 2016 and has since accumulated enormous influence across an organisation containing 211 national associations.
His position appears secure despite the controversies surrounding the World Cup. The Guardian recently reported that more than 200 FIFA members had endorsed him ahead of the next presidential election.
Infantino has already announced that he intends to stand again in 2027, according to FIFA. A genuine campaign for the UN position would therefore force him to reconsider his future in football.
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His supporters could argue that running FIFA has given him extensive experience of negotiations between governments, sponsors and national organisations. His critics will see something very different, a powerful administrator whose closeness to Trump has already raised serious questions about political neutrality and institutional independence.
The proposal may be sold as an attempt to place a unifying outsider at the head of the UN. To many observers, however, it will look like one powerful ally attempting to install another at the centre of global diplomacy.
