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US President Donald Trump is interested in backing FIFA President Gianni Infantino as the next Secretary-General of the United Nations, according to a report by the New York Post, citing a source close to the president.
The report, published on Tuesday, said Trump has grown increasingly close to the 56-year-old Swiss football administrator through this year’s FIFA World Cup. According to the source, Infantino has made every effort to strengthen ties with Trump, including presenting him with FIFA’s inaugural Peace Prize last December.
The source said Trump believes Infantino is “respected by everyone around the world” and possesses a unique ability to unite people across nations.
Current UN Secretary-General António Guterres is due to step down at the end of December, with the selection of his successor expected later this year. To secure the post, a candidate must first win the support of the 15-member UN Security Council, where the five permanent members hold veto power, before being approved by the UN General Assembly.
It remains unclear whether Infantino is interested in the position or how extensively Trump has discussed the matter with him.
According to the report, Trump sees a strong opportunity for Infantino amid what one insider described as a relatively weak field of seven potential candidates.
Among the better-known contenders are former Chilean President Michelle Bachelet and International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Grossi of Argentina. Bachelet could face opposition from the United States, while Grossi may encounter resistance from the United Kingdom over the disputed Falkland Islands.
Analysts say Trump’s support for Infantino could reshape expectations that the next UN chief would come from Latin America or the Caribbean, in line with the UN’s informal regional rotation tradition. However, sources noted that the geographical rotation principle alone may not be enough to block Infantino’s candidacy, particularly if he secures backing from multiple countries.
Paolo Zampolli, Trump’s special envoy for global partnerships and an Italian-American businessman and diplomat, told the New York Post: “Only President Trump could come up with such a brilliant and outstanding idea.”
