FIFA responds to report linking Infantino to Trump after World Cup fallout

FIFA has responded to the report that claims that Gianni Infantino reached out to President Donald Trump following his controversial World Cup sell-off plan fall-out.

As reported by the New York Post, when the World Cup sell-off plan fell apart due to member associations’ opposition, Infantino constantly tried to reach out to Trump by phone but failed.

As per the report, the FIFA president also arranged private talks with the Secretary of State and held phone calls with America’s top diplomat.

In response, a FIFA spokesperson issued a statement, calling the reports “pure fiction.”

"The FIFA President has not made any call to the President of the United States, nor to any member of his administration, in recent days. It is pure fiction," reads the message published by the organization to refute what was mentioned in the article.

FIFA has issued a firm institutional response to international press leaks regarding alleged political interference and mediation in its decisions, aiming to put a stop to ongoing speculation.

Following this official statement, the US administration has not yet released any statement regarding this matter.

Infantino has been caught in a global criticism over the FIFA Forward Enterprise proposal sought billions by privatizing commercial rights to major tournaments, but UEFA and national associations like Wales, England, and Serbia pulled support, criticizing the lack of consultation.