Infantino seeks Trump's support, FIFA denies

FIFA President Gianni Infantino has sparked fresh controversy amid claims that he attempted to reach out to US President Donald Trump to seek political support. However, FIFA has dismissed these reports as completely fabricated.

Recently, Infantino faced widespread criticism over a controversial plan to sell a portion of the World Cup's commercial rights to investors. The approximately $15 billion project drew fierce opposition from various quarters of the football world. Ultimately, he was forced to abandon the plan.

Earlier, The Telegraph, citing a source, reported that Trump would do his utmost to assist Infantino. At the same time, opposition against Infantino in Europe has grown stronger. The report claimed that UEFA, in particular, was looking for ways to weaken his position.

Meanwhile, the New York Post reported that Infantino made several attempts to contact Trump by phone but received no response. It was further claimed that he subsequently tried to get in touch with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and that a meeting between the two was being planned.

However, FIFA has directly refuted these allegations. In a statement, the organization said, "The FIFA President has not spoken by phone with the US President or any member of his administration in recent days. These claims are completely fabricated."

Amid the ongoing controversy, Infantino has not made any public comment so far. A FIFA spokesperson also said he is unlikely to speak publicly on the matter for now. However, on Instagram, he has responded to messages of support from the football federations of Morocco, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Sri Lanka, and Bhutan.