Trump Wants FIFA President Gianni Infantino as Next UN Secretary-General: Report

U.S. President Donald Trump wants FIFA President Gianni Infantino to become the next Secretary-General of the United Nations, according to a report by the New York Post.

Infantino, a 56-year-old Swiss-Italian football administrator, developed a close relationship with Trump during preparations for this year's FIFA World Cup. The FIFA president has taken several steps to keep Trump involved with the tournament, including awarding him FIFA's first-ever Peace Prize last December.

A source close to Trump told the New York Post that the president believes Infantino is "respected by people around the world" and has a special ability to bring people together.

Current UN Secretary-General António Guterres of Portugal is set to leave office at the end of this year, with a successor expected to be selected in 2026. To secure the position, Infantino would need approval from the 15-member UN Security Council, where five permanent members hold veto power, followed by approval from the General Assembly.

It remains unclear whether Infantino himself is interested in the role or whether Trump has discussed the possibility with him. Sources said Trump sees an opportunity and considers the other candidates for the post relatively weak.

Among the declared candidates are former Chilean President Michelle Bachelet and Rafael Grossi, the current director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency. Bachelet could face opposition from Washington, while Grossi may encounter resistance from the United Kingdom due to disputes related to the Falkland Islands.

If Infantino is selected, it would break with the informal tradition of rotating the UN secretary-general position among geographic regions. The last secretary-general from Latin America was Peru's Javier Pérez de Cuéllar, who served from 1982 to 1991.

However, several sources said regional rotation is a flexible practice and would not necessarily prevent Infantino from receiving nominations. Some countries are reportedly considering supporting his candidacy.

Trump's special envoy Paolo Zampolli praised the idea, saying Infantino could bring new energy to the UN and use the power of sports to build bridges and inspire young and disadvantaged communities around the world.

Zampolli noted that the UN has 193 member states, while FIFA has more than 200 members, arguing that Infantino's experience shows he knows how to manage large international organizations.

Trump has repeatedly criticized what he sees as the UN's inability to address major global conflicts. After returning to the White House last year, he reduced U.S. funding to several UN bodies and withdrew from organizations including the World Health Organization, UNESCO, and the UN Human Rights Council.

Supporters believe appointing Infantino could improve relations between Trump and the UN. However, the position would represent a major financial change for Infantino, whose annual FIFA earnings are reported to be around $6 million, compared with the UN secretary-general's salary of about $418,000.

Meanwhile, Infantino has already announced his candidacy for re-election as FIFA president, with the election scheduled for March.