According to the newspaper, Trump believes the 56-year-old Infantino "is respected by everyone around the world" and "has a special ability to bring people together."
The two men grew closer during this year's soccer World Cup, and in early December Infantino awarded Trump FIFA's first-ever Peace Prize.
The term of current UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres of Portugal ends in late December. Any successor must be recommended by the 15-member UN Security Council, where five permanent members hold veto power, before being confirmed by the General Assembly.
The New York Post said Trump sees an opportunity to push Infantino's candidacy despite an informal rule of geographic rotation under which the post would this time go to a representative of Latin America or the Caribbean.
Frequently mentioned candidates include former Chilean President Michelle Bachelet and International Atomic Energy Agency chief Rafael Grossi of Argentina.
It remains unclear whether Trump has discussed the proposal with Infantino directly, the newspaper said. The FIFA head, who earns about USD 6 million a year, is currently seeking re-election to his post, with the vote set for March.
As UN secretary-general, Infantino would earn about USD 418,000 annually.
Paolo Zampolli, the US special representative for global partnerships, called Trump's plan "a genius idea," saying Infantino "would do a great job" and "is liked by everybody."
Zampolli said Infantino's experience running an organization of more than 200 soccer federations could translate well to leading the UN, which has 193 member states.
The New York Post noted that Infantino's selection could help ease strained relations between the Trump administration and the United Nations.
Since returning to the White House, Trump has cut US funding to the UN and withdrawn the country from several of its agencies, including the World Health Organization, UNESCO and the UN Human Rights Council.
(jh/gs)
Source: PAP, nypost.com