Donald Trump is said to want Gianni Infantino to become the next Secretary-General of the United Nations (UN), it has emerged.
The FIFA president – who has come under intense scrutiny over a string of controversies during this year’s World Cup – forged close ties to the US President through organising the tournament.
Mr Trump believes the Swiss-born chief is “respected by everyone around the world” and has hailed his “special ability to bring people together”, a source close to the President has told the New York Post.
Antonio Guterres is set to retire from his role as Secretary-General at the end of the year, paving the way for fresh elections to take place for his successor.
It is unknown whether Mr Infantino is considering throwing his hat into the ring for the top job or whether the pair have discussed such a move.
If the FIFA chief decides to stand, he would need the backing of the 15-member Security Council and be confirmed by the General Assembly.
So far, there are seven declared candidates to be the next Secretary-General – but sources have indicated that Mr Trump views them as “lame” picks.
They include the former socialist Chilean President Michelle Bachelet and Rafael Grossi of Argentina, who serves as the current director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency.
The FIFA president forged close ties to the US President through organising the tournament
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Although it is suspected that the next candidate would hail from Latin America or the Caribbean due to a soft geographic “rotation” in who leads the UN, Mr Infantino could still land the position should he secure multiple nominations.
The US Special Representative for Global Partnerships, Paolo Zampolli, said that “only President Trump could have such a genius idea”.
The senior American diplomat told the New York Post that Mr Infantino would do a “great job” and is “liked by everybody”, and suggested he may be a breath of fresh air to the bureaucratic institution.
He added: “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.”
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Mr Trump is understood to believe the Swiss-born chief is ‘respected by everyone around the world’
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It is thought that bringing Mr Infantino to lead the UN could help repair the relationship between Mr Trump and the global body.
In September, the US President told world leaders at the UN General Assembly: “What is the purpose of the United Nations?”
“All they seem to do is write a really strongly worded letter and then never follow that letter up. It’s empty words and empty words don’t solve war.”
Mr Trump also previously accused the global body of “promoting” an invasion of migrants to the US southern border.
Mr Trump previously accused the global body of ‘promoting’ an invasion of migrants to the US southern border
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Since returning to the White House in January 2025, the US President has slashed American contributions to the body and has withdrawn from a host of sub-organisations, including the World Health Organisation and Human Rights Council.
Mr Infantino has already announced his re-election bid for Fifa presidency, and is expected to win a fourth term by a landslide next year.
Critics have described his position as “untenable” following a number of controversial decisions at this World Cup, including the move to lift American striker Folarin Balogun’s automatic suspension after Mr Trump contacted the Fifa chief to advocate for the player.
Uefa accused Fifa of crossing “a red line” by making an “incomprehensible and unjustifiable” decision to rescind the one-match ban after Balogun picked up a red card against Bosnia and Herzegovina in the last-32.
