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POTUS Wants FIFA Boss Buddy To Run The United Nations

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Gianni Infantino
Photo Credit: Kremlin.ru, CC BY 4.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

Donald Trump’s World Cup trophy moment may not be the end of his public alliance with FIFA President Gianni Infantino.

After sitting with the soccer chief at Sunday’s final and handing Spain’s Rodrì the trophy at MetLife Stadium, President Trump reportedly wants Infantino considered for an even bigger stage, as the secretary-general of the United Nations.

The New York Post reported that Trump is eyeing the Swiss-born head of FIFA for the UN’s top job after the two grew close while organizing the first World Cup held across three countries.

One source framed Trump’s interest around Infantino’s global standing, telling the Post that the FIFA leader is “respected by everyone around the world” and that after the tournament, the world “recognizes he has a special ability to bring people together.”

The reported push follows months of high-profile moments between Trump and Infantino.

FIFA awarded Trump its inaugural Peace Prize in December, and Trump later appeared at MetLife Stadium to hand out the Club World Cup trophy.

The same New Jersey venue became the backdrop again Sunday, when Trump presented the World Cup trophy after Spain defeated Argentina 1-0.

During the match, Trump sat between First Lady Melania Trump and Infantino, while the trophy was seen in his suite before it was carried onto the pitch.

The UN job opens soon. António Guterres of Portugal is set to step down in December, and the next secretary-general will begin the post on Jan. 1, 2027.

Paolo Zampolli, Trump’s special envoy for global partnerships, backed the idea of Infantino taking over the global body.

Zampolli’s praise was simple. Infantino “would do a great job” and is “liked by everybody.”

The Italian-American diplomat has reportedly dealt with FIFA before, including pitching Infantino on replacing Iran with Italy for the World Cup as part of an push to mend Trump’s relationship with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.

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His argument to the Post was that Infantino already knows how to manage a sprawling international membership.

“At the United Nations, you have to deal with 193 member states. In FIFA, there are over 200 members [and] Gianni’s great record shows he knows how to manage,” Zampolli said to the outlet.

The World Cup also left behind a political and financial mess for its champions.

Spain’s $50 million prize created a U.S. tax wrinkle, with Fox News reporting that as much as 30% of the winnings could be subject to federal taxes.

For nonresident foreign athletes, U.S. tax rules can mean a 30% federal withholding unless a treaty or exception reduces the bill.

Rep. Tim Burchett, R-Tenn., called the possible tax hit a “rip-off” and argued that it sends the wrong message while the U.S. prepares to host more major international sporting events.

“I’m not a big fan of the IRS,” Burchett commented. “They made that money over here, I guess, but I don’t like all that..”

The Tennessee Republican argued that the U.S. should be encouraging visitors to spend money, not taking a large slice first.

“We want to encourage these people to come over here and spend their money, and then we take a big chunk of it,” he pointed out. “We’ve got to get a better tax system.”

Spain’s celebration also delivered a Trump-themed victory-lap image.

Ferran Torres, who scored the 106th-minute winner against Argentina at New York/New Jersey Stadium, appeared at Monday’s victory parade wearing a “Make Spain Great Again” hat, a twist on Trump’s “Make America Great Again” slogan.

Argentina’s loss was already tangled in another online fight after Samuel L. Jackson told Black fans not to root for the country.

The controversy came from an Instagram Story featuring Jackson’s “Django Unchained” character Stephen in an Argentina jersey.

The image leaned on Stephen’s role in the film, where the character is portrayed as betraying Black people to serve his white masters.

“Dear Black People… Please do not cheer or root for Argentina to win the FIFA World Cup. Argentina has historically been one of, if not the most racist countries in the world. ‘If you are a Black person cheering for Argentina, this is what you look like to me.’ We hear you loud and clear,” the post read.

Some commenters accused Jackson of smearing a whole nation.

One critic answered with Argentina’s abolition history. “Argentina was the first country in the Americas to abolish slavery, a country where people from all cultures blended together.”

Another response challenged Jackson’s claim directly. “Please speak with facts. Argentina has welcomed immigrants and refugees from all over the world for generations. Calling us ‘the most racist country’ is simply false.”

The Argentina racism argument also surfaced inside a congressional hearing on the Smithsonian.

The hearing carried the title “Rewriting American History: Examining the Smithsonian’s Efforts to Reshape the Past” and had Democrats and Republicans sparring over whether the museum had become woke or anti-white.

During her time, Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, steered the Smithsonian discussion toward the World Cup and put the Argentina question to Yale University history professor David Blight.

Crockett opened the exchange by invoking the tournament’s global audience. “The World Cup that captured the imaginations of the entire world when they saw all of these people of color that was [sic] playing for all these teams, and ultimately, if you recall, the last two teams, it was Argentina and Spain.”

She then asked him to guess why so many people seemed to be rooting against Argentina.

“It seemed like the vast majority of the world was rooting … against Argentina, right? And why was that? Just give me an explanation. If you could guess.”

Blight offered a soccer answer instead of the one Crockett appeared to be seeking.

“Spain had the best team. Maybe that’s why they were rooting for them?” he questioned.

After laughing, Crockett supplied her own explanation. “There’s also a racist history that exists as it relates to Argentina,” she said.

Crockett then shifted back toward the hearing fight, accusing Republicans of trying to “ban books” and “attack museums” while also claiming Black people are currently being denied the right to vote.

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