MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Report says Trump is pushing Infantino to lead the UN

According to those sources, Trump believes the football official, 56, who holds dual Swiss and Italian nationality, is “respected by everyone around the world”

US President Donald Trump is promoting FIFA President Gianni Infantino as a candidate to succeed António Guterres at the head of the United Nations, according to the New York Post, which cited anonymous sources close to the White House. The information has not been officially confirmed by the US government or FIFA, and Infantino himself has not commented publicly.

According to those sources, Trump believes the football official, 56, who holds dual Swiss and Italian nationality, is “respected by everyone around the world” and has “a special ability to bring people together.” The president's special envoy for global partnerships, Paolo Zampolli, endorsed the idea in remarks to the same newspaper, the only openly stated backing so far.

Any such candidacy would face procedural and political hurdles. The next secretary-general must first secure a recommendation from the Security Council, where the United States holds veto power, before being confirmed by the General Assembly. Guterres leaves office on December 31, at the end of his second term.

The proposal would also upend an established expectation in multilateral diplomacy. Under the informal regional rotation norm governing the appointment, the next secretary-general had been expected to come from Latin America and the Caribbean. Names in circulation include former Chilean president Michelle Bachelet, Mexico's Alicia Bárcena, Costa Rica's Rebeca Grynspan, Ecuador's María Fernanda Espinosa, and Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley, as well as Argentina's Rafael Grossi, director of the International Atomic Energy Agency.

Infantino, who has led FIFA since 2016, has already announced his intention to seek a third term at the organization. His relationship with Trump grew closer during the 2026 World Cup, hosted by the United States, Mexico, and Canada. FIFA opened an office in Trump Tower in New York, and Infantino presented the president with the first Peace Prize created by the body, last December. The two appeared together at Sunday's final award ceremony, when they handed the trophy to Spain.

That proximity drew controversy during the tournament. Trump called Infantino to request a review of the red card given to US forward Folarin Balogun, after which FIFA's disciplinary committee suspended the ban, an unprecedented decision that drew criticism from UEFA and other federations.

Across his two terms, Trump has maintained a tense relationship with the United Nations and has questioned the role of multilateral bodies, in addition to withdrawing the United States from the Paris Agreement and the World Health Organization.