Trump ally Giuliani lashes out at Infantino critics, says opponents 'need their head examined'

Giuliani's fierce defense

Andrew Giuliani, former executive director of the White House Task Force for the 2026 World Cup and son of Rudy Giuliani, has launched a vociferous defense of FIFA President Gianni Infantino, telling The Athletic on Friday that anyone in football who wants Infantino removed "needs to get their head examined." Giuliani, who served as director of the White House crisis cell charged with security during the World Cup and worked closely with Infantino before and during the tournament, attributed the wave of criticism to jealousy and political motivation, drawing parallels to what he described as similar targeting of Donald Trump.

“It's politics. I've seen this before. I've seen it before when they've targeted President Trump from a political perspective. I've seen it before when they've targeted other people.”

The FFE controversy

Infantino's troubles stem from his proposed FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE), a new entity that would have managed the commercial and operational aspects of FIFA tournaments, including the World Cup. The plan involved selling approximately 20% to private investors, among them a company linked to Joshua Kushner, brother of Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner and part of the group that recently agreed to buy the Los Angeles Lakers. The proposal was abandoned in late July after widespread outrage from across the football world, and Infantino apologized for attempting to create FFE.

The fallout has been severe. UEFA, CONCACAF, and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) have concluded Infantino should resign from his position. Individual federations including England, Wales, the Republic of Ireland, and New Zealand have also announced they will not back his re-election, with New Zealand's federation the latest to withdraw support.

Infantino's supporters push back

Not all of football's governing bodies have turned against Infantino. The Confederation of African Football (CAF) and South American governing body Conmebol have both endorsed him for a fourth presidential term at the FIFA Congress in March. US President Donald Trump weighed in on Monday evening via a Truth Social post, warning that it would be a "terrible mistake" for football's leaders to oust Infantino.

Giuliani argued that Infantino's record should secure him unanimous re-election, citing the 2026 World Cup as the first tournament Infantino was responsible for "landing" after inheriting the Russia and Qatar editions. He said the tournament generated more than four times the revenue of the previous World Cup and was staged without any incident.

“This guy literally just put on the largest global sporting event ever without any incident, making over four times the revenue of the last World Cup, and you're thinking of ousting him.”

Looking ahead to March

Giuliani told The Athletic he had spoken with Infantino, who assured him he has "a good plan for what he will do over the next few months, until March." The FIFA Congress vote is scheduled for March, where Infantino will seek a fourth term. Giuliani also quipped that FIFA "might need a Save FIFA Act," referencing Trump's SAVE America Act, which would require Americans to provide ID and proof of citizenship to vote in elections. He urged Infantino's detractors to step back and evaluate the full "body of work" the FIFA president has developed.

“If Gianni Infantino doesn't get re-elected unanimously, then whoever voted against him needs to get their head examined.”