Fifa: Infantino under pressure after controversial rights sale

Gianni Infantino, FIFA president since 2016, had until last Tuesday been in an unassailable position at the helm of world football. But the revelation that he attempted to sell shares in FIFA competitions to private investment funds without informing other leaders has upended the situation.

  The Union of European Football Associations (UEFA), Infantino’s main detractor, on Thursday brandished its strongest threat yet: a boycott of all FIFA competitions, including the World Cup. The European body now believes it has its best chance of forcing his resignation. This position was strengthened by Concacaf’s call—an organization with which Infantino closely collaborated to organize the 2026 World Cup—for a “full review” of FIFA’s leadership. Even the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), where Infantino had allies, has turned its back on him. Two of his closest aides, former senior advisor Carlos Cordeiro and operations director Kevin Lamour, have also abandoned him. After a partial retreat on Saturday morning, UEFA dealt another blow by declaring it had “lost confidence” in him. The fastest route to his departure would be a Swiss-style resignation, like that of his predecessor Sepp Blatter in 2015. Infantino, however, retains some support and could attempt to hold on until March 2025, the deadline for his fourth and final term. FIFA’s Council could try to force him out at an emergency meeting if 19 of its 37 members request it. UEFA holds 9 votes, the AFC 7, and Concacaf 5. Yet doubts remain over whether this threshold can be reached. If a majority is secured, the Council could demand his resignation within two weeks, though Infantino could refuse. Another option would be to convene an extraordinary congress of FIFA’s 211 member associations if 43 of them formally request it. UEFA, representing 55 nations, could trigger this process in two to three months, though success is not guaranteed. A no-confidence motion would then require 106 votes—a difficult threshold to meet. Among the likely candidates, Victor Montagliani, Concacaf president, appears the most probable. Elected in 2016 on a promise of governance reforms, he played a key role in organizing the 2026 World Cup and is multilingual. Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa, AFC president, is another possibility, though less likely. He has criticized Infantino’s management and commands a bloc of 46 votes. Nasser Al-Khelaifi, Paris Saint-Germain president and head of the European Club Association, could also run, but his Qatari backing for Infantino complicates his candidacy. Infantino is trying to regain ground by gradually rallying associations to his side. Morocco, co-host of the 2030 World Cup, and Egypt have already pledged support after he abandoned his plan. The FIFA president hopes to reduce the chances of a no-confidence vote, which is not due until March. For UEFA, the key lies in maintaining international criticism—and possibly a reaction from sponsors, as happened in the 2015 scandal when several companies severed partnerships.