The Football Association was prepared to support Gianni Infantino’s re-election bid in 2027 before the FIFA president became embroiled in a controversy with Donald Trump that has thrown the World Cup into disarray, according to reports.
Trump publicly revealed he personally called Infantino to request FIFA’s intervention in overturning a one-game ban for US striker Folarin Balogun, who was sent off against Bosnia and Herzegovina. The ban was subsequently suspended, allowing Balogun to play in the last-16 tie against Belgium – a decision that infuriated the Belgian FA and UEFA. UEFA said FIFA had crossed “a red line” by making an “incomprehensible and unjustifiable” decision, undermining “the integrity of the game and the credibility of the competition”.
“FA backed Infantino's re-election before Trump intervened to overturn a US player's ban, sparking integrity concerns.”
Infantino published a statement denying he granted Trump’s request, pointing to the independence of FIFA’s disciplinary committee. He added that he “sometimes agrees” with its decisions and “sometimes disagrees”.
A letter from FIFA, reported by the Telegraph, allegedly encouraged leading nations to formally back Infantino for another term. The FA, run by chairwoman Debbie Hewitt and chief executive Mark Bullingham, agreed to provide their support and was “poised to send a letter” when the tri-nation World Cup kicked off in June. It is not yet known whether that letter was sent before the Trump controversy erupted.
On the pitch, the tournament has delivered a Golden Boot race for the ages. Lionel Messi leads with eight goals, followed by Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland on seven, and Harry Kane on six – all within striking distance of double figures, a feat achieved by only eight players in World Cup history. Mbappe has two assists, Kane and Messi one each; the award is decided by goals, then assists, then minutes played.
Among the chasing pack is Switzerland’s Johan Manzambi, the 20-year-old who has emerged as one of the breakout stars. He scored a double off the bench against Bosnia, then added a goal and an assist on his full debut against Canada, and set up the opener against Algeria before missing Switzerland’s last-16 win over Colombia with a knee injury. His fitness for the quarter-final against Argentina is unclear. Manzambi became the youngest player to record five goal involvements at a single World Cup since 1966.
Newcastle United target Manzambi rose through the ranks at Freiburg, where his former reserve coach Benedetto Muzzicato recalled: “He wants to improve every single day. If anything, you have to slow him down rather than motivate him.” His club teammate Yann Sturm said: “I’m sure we will be hearing a lot more from him over the coming years.”