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United States President Donald Trump has stepped into the escalating turmoil at the top of world football by backing embattled FIFA President Gianni Infantino. His intervention comes as major global confederations intensify efforts to oust the Swiss administrator after a controversial and unsuccessful attempt to push through a commercial power move.

Trump has issued a strong warning to football federations worldwide, saying FIFA would be making a "terrible mistake" if it proceeds with any plan to replace Infantino. The U.S. President used his social media platform to support the under-pressure FIFA chief, arguing that the governing body's recent financial and operational achievements are closely linked to Infantino's leadership and vision for the sport.

In a direct message posted on Monday night, Trump said FIFA "would never be as successful or profitable" without the current president in charge. He wrote: "FIFA would be making a terrible mistake if, for any reason, they even considered replacing President Gianni Infantino. He is fantastic, having just presided over the most successful World Cup, by four times, ever presented.

The backing from the White House has come at a moment when Infantino is facing rare resistance from some of football's most influential regional bodies. UEFA, CONCACAF and the AFC issued a sharply worded joint statement accusing FIFA of breaching trust through deception over a proposal to sell commercial rights.

In an open letter, the confederations said: "when trust is broken through deception, when an individual places himself above the collective that entrusted him with authority, that duty has been abandoned." The letter also stressed that football belongs to players, supporters and member associations, not to any one individual.

Even with Trump's personal support for Infantino, U.S. Soccer has sided with the critics, joining Canada Soccer and other regional unions in calling for major reform within FIFA. In a statement released on Monday, the American federation called for "meaningful change that strengthens FIFA's governance, transparency and accountability." That places the domestic governing body in direct contrast with the political messaging coming from the U.S. presidency.

The criticism is focused on the absence of consultation over the FFE project, which was reportedly advanced on a shortened timeline in order to avoid scrutiny.

Infantino has apologised for the way the FFE proposal was managed, but for many within the European and Asian associations, that apology has arrived too late. UEFA had earlier indicated that its member nations could boycott FIFA competitions, including the World Cup, if the commercial plans were carried forward.

The Swiss official has led FIFA since February 2016 and currently plans to remain in the post for several more years. His present term runs until 2027, and he has already signalled that he wants to stand again in order to extend his presidency until 2031.