FIFA and Infantino paying Trump $4m for an empty office

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FT Desk

FIFA concluded a deal to pay Trump Tower $4 million in rent over seven years for an office that is rarely used.

French outlet Le Monde reports that, in 2025, a deal was put in place for FIFA President Gianni Infantino to hold an office in Trump Tower in New York City.

According to unpublished documents seen by the publication, FIFA’s Delaware-registered subsidiary, FIFA Americas Inc., agreed to begin making payments to New York-based Trump Tower Commercial LLC in June of 2025.

The company is chaired by Eric Trump, son of Donald Trump, and owns and manages the property. The agreement was signed in May 2025 by four members of the organisation’s board, including FIFA Secretary General Mattias Grafstrom.

FIFA chose the New York City office due to the Club World Cup taking place in the United States in 2025 and the World Cup taking place in the US, Canada and Mexico in the summer of 2026.

But, the deal materialised because of Infantino's relationship with Trump which became increasingly close in the lead-up to the World Cup.

In response to questions about the lease, FIFA said the deal “complies with all local laws” and “was signed in accordance with FIFA’s standard internal processes."

The details of the arrangement come as Infantino faces increased scrutiny for his relationship with Trump as FIFA is supposed to remain a politically neutral organisation.

“This deal with the Trump Organisation raises a clear conflict of interest in the light of FIFA’s interests in the U.S. World Cup or its partnership with President Trump’s Board of Peace,” Miguel Maduro, former governance head at FIFA, said, as quoted by The Athletic.

The Norwegian FA have made three complaints to FIFA regarding Infantino, including one that deals with his dealings with the United States President.

The first relates to his decision to award Trump the FIFA Peace Prize at the World Cup draw in December. It was viewed as an act to massage the politician's ego which caused fury among some, as FIFA is supposed to remain a politically neutral organisation.

During the World Cup, FIFA intervened to overturn USMNT striker Folarin Balogun's red card to allow him to play in a Round of 26 tie against Belgium. It was later revealed by Trump himself that he personally contacted Infantino to see if Balogun could be allowed to play.

Then, following the tournament, reports emerged that Infantino was planning to sell shares in the World Cup to private equity firms. The reaction to the plans was so negative that he was forced to abandon them after just a couple of days.

The Peace Prize, the Balogun saga and the failed FIFA Forward Enterprise proposal make up Norway's three complaints.

“FIFA is in one of its biggest crises in many, many years. We need to change the structure, or to make it work," NFF President Lisa Klaveness told the Times.

“These are three very different factual cases, but they all have something in common that we want examined: is it an abuse of power, an abuse of position? Is it a breach of political neutrality? Is it in accordance with the rules of governance, as the FIFA Council should be the strategic body and the president shouldn’t really have any unilateral power?”

The full Norwegian FA complaint to FIFA’s ethics committee asks the governing body to examine “the conduct of Infantino and any other individuals identified through the investigation for potential breaches of FIFA’s code of ethics”.