Football appeared headed for a prolonged governance standoff on Friday as support for FIFA President Gianni Infantino became increasingly divided, with allies reaffirming their backing while several European football associations intensified calls for his resignation.
The dispute follows Infantino’s decision last week to withdraw a proposal to raise approximately $4.2 billion by selling a stake in the commercial rights of the FIFA World Cup and other tournaments, a plan that drew widespread criticism from football bodies around the world.
Norwegian Football Federation President Lise Klaveness said Infantino no longer commanded the confidence needed to lead world football.
“He does not have the institutional trust required to govern FIFA stably in the times we are in. There is no going back for Gianni Infantino,” Klaveness said, urging the FIFA president to resign.
European football governing body UEFA, which represents 55 national associations, maintained its threat to boycott FIFA competitions unless assurances are provided that similar proposals will not be pursued in the future.
However, support for Infantino remained strong in other regions. The football federations of Mexico and Argentina joined the Confederation of African Football (CAF) in publicly backing his leadership.
South America’s governing body CONMEBOL expressed concern over what it described as repeated unilateral decisions made without sufficient consultation, while stopping short of withdrawing confidence in the FIFA president.
Mexico’s Football Federation (FMF), despite earlier criticism from its regional confederation CONCACAF, said it supported Infantino’s continued leadership and rejected any attempt to remove him outside FIFA’s constitutional procedures.
“The FMF supports President Infantino’s leadership in continuing to promote the development of football through institutional strengthening,” the federation said in a statement.
Asia’s football confederation (AFC) also expressed solidarity with UEFA and CONCACAF over governance concerns, although several of its member associations, including Indonesia, the Philippines, and Qatar, have publicly supported Infantino.
Argentina’s Football Association (AFA) acknowledged that the abandoned commercial rights proposal created significant uncertainty and that mistakes had been made in its handling. Nevertheless, it reaffirmed support for FIFA’s leadership, saying reforms should continue under Infantino ahead of the FIFA Congress scheduled for March in Morocco.
Paraguay’s Football Association also pledged its continued cooperation with FIFA.
Meanwhile, the Croatian Football Federation joined England and Albania in withdrawing support for Infantino, reflecting growing divisions within European football.
Players’ union FIFPRO criticised the proposal on Thursday, describing it as not only a governance failure but also “a profound abuse of presidential power.”
Following a meeting with member associations in Rabat, FIFA apologised for shortcomings in the consultation process surrounding the proposal and pledged to review its internal decision making procedures. The organisation maintained that its actions complied with FIFA regulations, arguing that the controversy stemmed from communication and process failures rather than governance violations.
The dispute has cast uncertainty over Infantino’s expected bid for a fourth term as FIFA president at the 2027 FIFA Congress. Although dissatisfaction has grown in parts of Europe, no formal challenger has yet emerged, and the Swiss administrator continues to enjoy significant backing from associations across Africa, Asia and Latin America.
Leave a comment