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Title: Trump tips Infantino for UN chiefdom after FIFA term: Reports
Author: Daily Sabah with Agencies
Publication: Daily Sabah
Date: Jul 22, 2026
Click here for the article
Summary:
The article is based on a New York Post report stating that Donald Trump wants FIFA president Gianni Infantino to become the next UN secretary-general after his FIFA term ends. It says Trump sees Infantino as widely respected, credits his World Cup leadership, and views him as a strong candidate despite the political hurdles involved in the UN selection process. The piece also notes that neither the White House nor FIFA had publicly commented on the report.
Quotes:
“At the United Nations, you have to deal with 193 member states. In FIFA, there are over 200 members. Gianni's great record shows he knows how to manage,”
“It also remains unclear whether Infantino has any interest in pursuing the position.”
“It also remains unclear whether Infantino has any interest in pursuing the position.”
Certainly not as SG, but why not UNICEF? He is a Swiss/Italian, a good manager according to Trump, has played up the youth emphasis in FIFA as well as its educational aspects and it might be a great chance to break from the US monopoly !
ReplyDeleteTrump's suggestion is surely tongue-in-cheek. Running FIFA and leading the United Nations require different skills and legitimacy. As for leading UNICEF, I also struggle with that suggestion. FIFA has long been associated with governance and corruption problems, and there is little evidence that Infantino has changed that culture. UNICEF's challenge is not to market a sport, but to lead a large UN organization, strengthen management and accountability, and improve efficiency. It needs a proven executive leader with deep experience in managing complex institutions.
DeleteTrump's suggestion that FIFA President Gianni Infantino could become the next UN Secretary-General has attracted ridicule. But it also highlights a larger issue.
ReplyDeleteThe real problem is not so much who becomes Secretary-General. It is that no one can reinvigorate the UN without strong backing from the United States. The office has some influence, but little power.
That makes the American debate puzzling. Why do so few Democrats, in particular, argue for rebuilding a strong UN? The United States has benefited more than any other country from the rules-based international order. A strong UN is not an act of charity; it is a multiplier for American influence, reducing the need to solve every crisis through military interventions.
The UN undoubtedly needs major reform. The Security Council no longer reflects today's world, accountability is weak, and the organisation has for decades promised more than it can deliver. But allowing it to drift into irrelevance is not in America's interest.
Without a visionary American president prepared to lead necessary reform, even the best Secretary-General is likely to preside over the UN's continued decline rather than its renewal.
One other thing in his favor as ED of Unicef is his name: INFANTINO could not be more appropriate for the job!
ReplyDeleteWhile UNICEF has a global brand as an institution, it does not have anything to offer any financial incentives to both the one who will propose and the one who could be the candidate.
DeleteMr. Infantino may sound like the perfect fit for UNICEF. How would Mr. Lawless fit for the International Court of Justice?
Delete