FIFA rejects report of planned Marco Rubio meeting as Gianni Infantino faces pressure

FIFA has denied that its president Gianni Infantino had a meeting arranged with United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio, or any other member of Donald Trump’s administration, amid reports that he was seeking help to protect his position.

A FIFA source told Fox News that no conversation between Infantino and Rubio was scheduled for Monday, or for any other date. The source specifically rejected a report in the New York Post which said such a discussion had been organised.

The New York Post reported on Monday that Infantino was due to hold a private conversation with Rubio as pressure increased following his unsuccessful attempt to sell part of FIFA’s commercial business to private investors.

According to the newspaper, the stated purpose of the proposed discussion was to explore how football could be used as a form of “soft power” for the United States. However, one source quoted by the New York Post said the conversation was instead intended to help Infantino secure support as he attempts to remain in office.

“He wanted to reach out to the secretary and talk about how football could be a form of soft power for America, but we all know it’s about protecting the position. It’s not about anything else at this stage,” the source said.

The report also claimed that Infantino had made repeated efforts to contact Trump since the controversial proposal collapsed on Friday. It said the FIFA president was looking for prominent allies who would be prepared to defend him publicly.

FIFA’s source denied that a meeting had been arranged with Rubio or any other official in the Trump administration. However, the governing body did not issue an official statement in the organisation’s name addressing the separate claim that Infantino had attempted to contact Trump.

The claims come as Infantino faces growing pressure over the failed plan to transfer part of FIFA’s commercial activity to private-sector investors. That proposal has become a focus of concern over his leadership and his efforts to retain his position.

The New York Post’s account suggested that any discussion with the US administration would have been presented publicly as a conversation about football’s wider diplomatic and strategic value. The source cited by the newspaper, however, characterised it as an effort to obtain political backing for Infantino personally.

FIFA has therefore challenged the report of a scheduled Rubio meeting, while leaving unanswered in an official organisational statement the allegation that Infantino sought direct contact with Trump after the commercial proposal broke down.