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FIFA President Gianni Infantino has scheduled a Monday call with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, seeking support from the Trump administration as he faces growing opposition to his reelection bid, according to a report by the New York Post.
Two sources familiar with the matter said the call is set for shortly after 9:00 a.m. ET (1:00 p.m. GMT).
One source described the discussion as framed around football as a form of soft power for the United States, though the same source said the underlying purpose was to protect Infantino's position.
Infantino has attempted to reach U.S. President Donald Trump directly by phone on multiple occasions since Friday without success, the report said.
The outreach follows FIFA's decision on Friday to abandon its proposed FIFA Forward Enterprise, a plan that would have allowed minority private investment in a new subsidiary managing commercial rights to the World Cup and other FIFA competitions.
The plan had envisioned a $20 billion company involving private investors, including the Kushner family, before drawing sustained opposition following its announcement.
UEFA's 55 member federations had agreed on Thursday to boycott the World Cup and other FIFA competitions in protest of the proposal.
Two senior FIFA officials also criticized the plan; one resigned as a presidential adviser, and another said staff members had been misled about the project. Infantino said in a statement Friday that the proposal "will not proceed."
The Football Association of Wales announced Monday it was withdrawing support for Infantino's candidacy for the 2027–2031 FIFA presidential term, becoming the first national federation to do so.
The association said FIFA and its members serve as custodians of the game, responsible for its long-term growth and sustainability, according to a statement to Sky News.
Reports subsequently indicated the English Football Association would take a similar position.
The governing body for North and Central American and Caribbean Football (CONCACAF) called for what it termed a "comprehensive reckoning" with Infantino's presidency over the weekend, describing the proposal as part of a broader pattern of governance issues.
UEFA separately said the episode had undermined confidence in FIFA's leadership and that it would work with member associations to develop safeguards against similar situations.
According to sources cited by ESPN, UEFA has raised the possibility of legal action against Infantino over the shelved World Cup investment plan and has requested that related documents not be destroyed.
UEFA has also written to individuals and firms associated with the proposal, including Joshua Kushner, Greg Maffei, JP Morgan and Open Economics, to notify them it is considering legal action. ESPN reported it had reviewed a document preservation letter addressed to Infantino; FIFA has not yet responded to ESPN's request for comment.
The developments have placed Infantino's expected reelection as FIFA president in March 2027 in doubt.
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