Only months after he obtained Lebanese citizenship by an exceptional decree, the name of FIFA President Gianni Infantino emerged as the candidate favored by US President Donald Trump to assume the position of Secretary-General of the United Nations, in a move that could tip the scales of the race for the highest international position as the term of Portuguese António Guterres approaches at the end of the year.
According to a report by journalist Steven Nelson in the New York Post, Trump believes that Infantino is the most suitable person to succeed Guterres, and considers him “respected by everyone around the world, and has a special ability to bring people together.”
This nomination has a Lebanese dimension, as Infantino became an official Lebanese citizen in February 2026, after receiving his Lebanese passport in Beirut, following the granting of citizenship by an exceptional decree from President Joseph Aoun, even though Lebanese law does not allow a Lebanese woman to automatically transfer her nationality to her foreign husband. Infantino also maintains Swiss and Italian citizenship.
Infantino is linked to Lebanon through his wife, Lina Al-Ashqar, a Lebanese woman who previously worked in the Lebanese Football Association in administrative and organizational fields, and there he met her when he was working as a lawyer at the European Football Association (UEFA), before they married in 2001. The couple has 4 daughters: Shania Serena, Alicia, Dalia Noura, and Sabrina. Al-Ashqar maintains a life out of the limelight, and is not known for giving media interviews or being active on social media, although she sometimes appears alongside her husband on major official occasions.
According to the report, the relationship between Trump and Infantino strengthened during the organization of the 2026 World Cup, as the FIFA president was keen to involve the American president on a number of occasions, and last December he awarded him the first “Peace Award” created by FIFA.
The new Secretary-General of the United Nations is scheduled to be elected this year, and will succeed Guterres, who leaves office at the end of December. The election of any candidate requires first obtaining the support of the 15-member Security Council, where the five permanent members have veto power, before obtaining the approval of the United Nations General Assembly.
It is not yet clear whether Infantino wants to run in the race, or whether Trump discussed the matter directly with him, but the US President, according to the report, sees a real opportunity in light of the presence of 7 candidates, whom one of the insiders described as “weak.”
Among the most prominent names proposed is former Chilean President Michelle Bachelet, who may face American objection, in addition to the Director-General of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Rafael Grossi, who may clash with British reservations related to the Falkland Islands issue.
Introducing Infantino’s name means breaking expectations that a candidate would likely be chosen from Latin America or the Caribbean, a region that has not held this position since the term of Peruvian Javier Pérez de Cuéllar between 1982 and 1991. However, several sources have confirmed that the non-binding geographical rotation rule may not prevent his arrival, and he may enjoy the support of more than one country in addition to Trump’s support.
In the same context, Trump’s special envoy for global partnerships, Paolo Zampolli, described the idea as “genius,” considering that Infantino “will do a wonderful job” because he is “loved by everyone,” and he can inject new energy into the United Nations and use sports to build bridges between peoples.
Zampoli added that the FIFA administration, which includes more than 200 member associations, gives Infantino experience similar to the United Nations administration, which includes 193 member states, noting that he was surprised by the idea when he read it in the New York Post, after he had spent time with Infantino during the World Cup final without them discussing this topic.
This proposal comes at a time when Trump continues to criticize the performance of the United Nations, after he reduced American contributions to it and withdrew from a number of its agencies, including the World Health Organization, UNESCO, and the Human Rights Council, considering that the organization did not perform the role required of it in addressing international conflicts.
If Infantino takes over the position, he will receive a salary much lower than what he currently receives, as his annual income at FIFA is about $6 million, compared to about $418,000 for the Secretary-General of the United Nations. He also announced his candidacy for a new term as head of FIFA, with elections scheduled to be held next March. He has not yet commented on what the newspaper published regarding the possibility of his moving to the United Nations.
Although he received almost complete support from the 211 member federations of FIFA for his re-election, he is still facing criticism because of Trump’s intervention during the World Cup to cancel the suspension of American striker Folarin Balogun before the Belgium match, a move that raised European objections, while former FIFA president Sepp Blatter is still one of the most prominent demands for his removal from the presidency of the federation.
