FIFA President Gianni Infantino wants US President Donald Trump’s administration to help keep him in office and has scheduled private talks with Secretary of State Marco Rubio Monday amid growing pressure to resign over his scheme to sell off the World Cup to Josh Kushner’s private equity firm, the New York Post reports ( https://nypost.com/2026/08/03/business/fifas-infantino-begs-trump-admin-to-save-his-job/ ).

Two sources familiar with the matter confirmed Infantino will hold a call with America’s top diplomat just after 9 a.m. ET.

“He wanted to get online with the secretary and talk about how soccer can be a form of soft power for America,” said one insider briefed on the matter. “But we all know that it is about job protection. It is not about anything else at this point.”

Sources also say that Infantino has repeatedly tried and failed to reach Trump by phone since his plan to sell off the game’s commercial assets to private investors collapsed on Friday.

Infantino came under fire after he proposed selling part of the FIFA World Cup rights to private investors, although he later withdrew the idea.

The plan was to create a company that would oversee FIFA's main men's and women's tournaments.

Infantino said the creation of the FIFA Forward Enterprise could increase revenues for FIFA's member associations and help develop football worldwide.

FIFA said the project could raise $4.2 billion.

However, the initiative was widely criticized and condemned by officials, federations and other organizations, with journalist Romain Molina reporting on Infantino's imminent resignation, citing a lack of support within FIFA.