Donald Trump is reportedly considering nominating Gianni Infantino, the FIFA president, as Secretary-General of the United Nations. The idea, championed by a close associate of the US president, faces significant institutional obstacles.
The New York Post broke the news: Donald Trump is considering appointing Gianni Infantino as UN Secretary-General. Behind this initiative is Paolo Zampolli, a close associate of the US president, who believes that the roles at the head of FIFA and those at the head of the UN organization are "quite similar."
Zampolli puts forward a symbolically powerful argument: the international football federation has more members than the UN itself. This comparison flatters the sporting institution, but says nothing about the profoundly different nature of the two organizations.
Trump's strategic interest would be to install a trusted ally at the head of a multilateral institution that Washington has often viewed with suspicion. Placing a close associate at the Secretary-General's office would, in theory, allow him to exert more influence from within.
But the nomination process makes the operation particularly difficult. The UN Secretary-General is appointed by the General Assembly on the recommendation of the Security Council, where five permanent members each have veto power. China and Russia, in particular, have no reason to endorse a candidate imposed by Washington.
António Guterres's mandate, in office since 2017 and renewed in 2021, runs until December 2026. The question of a possible Infantino candidacy would therefore only arise as this deadline approaches, in a diplomatic context where the United States does not have sufficient leverage to dictate its choice alone.
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