Trump wants FIFA’s Infantino nominated for UN secretary-general

After the World Cup, NY Post reports Trump floated nominating FIFA chief Gianni Infantino for UN secretary-general.

Report of the nomination idea

According to the New York Post, Trump floated nominating Infantino to lead the United Nations following the conclusion of the World Cup. The newspaper’s account, also shared on its X account @nypost, framed the idea as something the president wants rather than as a formal nomination already filed with the world body. Other outlets, including The Independent, later summarized the same New York Post reporting, describing Trump as pitching Infantino for the post after the tournament.

The Post’s coverage did not present the idea as a completed diplomatic step. Under U.N. practice, the secretary-general is appointed by the General Assembly on the recommendation of the Security Council, a process that involves multiple member states and cannot be decided by any single government alone. As reported, Trump’s comments amount to a stated preference rather than a binding nomination under those rules.

Infantino and Trump’s reported rationale

Infantino has led FIFA, world soccer’s governing body, for years and has been a visible figure around the World Cup and related events. The New York Post’s account, as amplified on X by accounts citing the paper, said Trump believes Infantino is widely respected and has a special ability to bring people together. Those characterizations were attributed in secondary posts to the Post’s reporting and have not been independently confirmed here as verbatim White House statements.

The relationship between Trump and Infantino has drawn public attention before. Separate New York Post sports coverage earlier this month addressed Infantino’s comments on a reported Trump call related to a U.S. men’s national team disciplinary matter during the World Cup period. That earlier reporting is distinct from the secretary-general story but forms part of the recent public record of contact between the two men.

Context of the U.N. post

The U.N. secretary-general is the organization’s chief administrative officer and a high-profile diplomatic role. The current selection system is designed to reflect Security Council and General Assembly dynamics, not the unilateral choice of one member state. Any U.S. preference for a candidate would still need to move through that multilateral process, according to the established appointment framework.

As of the New York Post’s Tuesday report, there was no indication in that account of a formal U.S. nomination package or of Infantino having accepted any such role. FIFA and the White House were not quoted with full, independently verified statements in the material summarized on X from the Post’s article.

What remains unconfirmed

It remains unconfirmed whether Trump will formally advance Infantino’s name through diplomatic channels, how other Security Council members would respond, or whether Infantino has been approached about leaving FIFA for a U.N. bid. The core claim rests on the New York Post’s reporting that Trump wants to nominate the FIFA chief for secretary-general after the World Cup. Further official statements from the White House, FIFA, or U.N. member states would be needed to clarify whether the idea moves beyond a reported presidential preference.