FIFA’s Infantino gets Giuliani backing in World Cup selloff fallout

What the report says

Andrew Giuliani, the son of former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani and the executive director of the White House Task Force for the recently completed World Cup, has publicly defended FIFA president Gianni Infantino. In comments reported by Reuters and published by Al Jazeera on 15 August 2026, Giuliani dismissed criticism of Infantino’s leadership as political and suggested that jealousy was driving the backlash.

The remarks come after Infantino dropped a controversial plan in late July to sell a stake in a proposed FIFA-linked commercial venture to private investors. According to the report, the proposal triggered broad opposition and weakened support for his bid for re-election next year. Organizations including UEFA, CONCACAF and the Asian Football Confederation, along with the football federations of England, Wales, the Republic of Ireland and New Zealand, have signaled disapproval or said they will not back him.

Giuliani argued that Infantino has improved FIFA and should be judged by his overall record rather than the controversy around the investment plan. The reported remarks also referenced the involvement of Joshua Kushner, who was listed among the investors in the proposed entity. The episode matters because it highlights how FIFA governance, World Cup commercialization and broader political ties are intersecting ahead of the next leadership vote.

For context, FIFA has increasingly explored commercial expansion around its tournaments in recent years, but such moves often draw scrutiny from football officials concerned about governance and influence.