Infantino turns to Trump as pressure mounts over his role

FIFA President Gianni Infantino reportedly sought support from the administration of United States President Donald Trump after facing growing criticism over the collapse of a controversial plan to sell a stake in the commercial rights to the FIFA World Cup.

According to a report by the New York Post on Monday, Infantino made several unsuccessful attempts to contact Trump by telephone after the proposal was abandoned on Friday.

Sources familiar with the matter told the newspaper that the FIFA chief felt increasingly isolated as criticism of the failed initiative mounted.

FIFA did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

The governing body’s proposal would have transferred around 20 per cent of the commercial rights to FIFA competitions, including the World Cup, into a newly created company backed by private investors.