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Is FIFA President Gianni Infantino on his way out?
French 171607 AP
Two weeks ago, Gianni Infantino was still feeling at the height of his power during the World Cup. A failed investment deal has sparked an uprising against the FIFA boss. Can he hold on to his position?
In the midst of the uprising against his FIFA leadership, Gianni Infantino still had Bastian Schweinsteiger on his mind. The Swiss official—who was facing calls for his resignation following the spectacular failure of his investment deal—congratulated the 2014 World Cup champion on his 42nd birthday. “Fighting spirit” and “leadership qualities” were the traits praised by the embattled Infantino. Both qualities would help him personally if he is to survive a rebellion that is no longer a question of “if,” but rather of “when.”
Infantino is currently experiencing an almost insane dynamic in the battle for power and money. Just two weeks ago, the 56-year-old was on top of the world at the World Cup. Despite all the outrage, Infantino was able to tout the tournament—held for the first time with 48 teams across the U.S., Canada, and Mexico—as a complete success. The XXL World Cup is said to have generated around 13.1 billion euros in revenue—more than any previous edition.
Infantino then presented an idea that he himself considered quite brilliant. Shares in the world governing body’s premium products were to be sold to private investors. Investors would have been able to acquire about 20 percent of the shares in the newly established subsidiary FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE), which had initially been valued at $20 billion.
The FFE would have consolidated the commercial rights to FIFA competitions such as the Men’s and Women’s World Cups and the Club World Cup. Infantino could have become the CEO of the subsidiary. Technology investor Joshua Kushner, whose brother Jared is married to U.S. President Donald Trump’s daughter, Ivanka, was set to take on a key role through his investment firm, Thrive.
They get along well: Gianni Infantino and Donald Trump
Associated Press
Infantino, who has failed in the past with controversial ideas, reportedly set a deadline of September 19 for the 211 FIFA member associations to give their approval and, in return, held out the prospect of special payments. That’s what plans to cling to power look like. But Infantino’s plan fell through. And U.S. President Trump has already made it clear that he never even discussed such investment plans with the FIFA president. They’re distancing themselves.
Under the leadership of President Aleksander Ceferin, the European soccer union UEFA now believes the time has come for a clean break at FIFA headquarters and is urging Infantino to step down. “The current FIFA leadership has lost not only the trust of UEFA, but also that of many other members of the soccer family,” the European governing body stated after the embattled Infantino, facing global outrage and under massive public pressure regarding his highly controversial commercial project, had made an embarrassing about-face.
“The shady, opaque deal—negotiated behind closed doors—that he orchestrated and then tried to push through was the exact opposite of transparency,” UEFA declared, confident of the support of the DFB under President Bernd Neuendorf.
They will now work with the member associations and “in close collaboration” with the other confederations to analyze how this could have happened, in order to prevent it from happening again. “This review must be thorough and comprehensive. No option should be ruled out from the outset.” In other words: Infantino, get lost!
UEFA accused Infantino of dereliction of duty, citing reserves totaling more than five billion U.S. dollars that were allegedly sitting “unused in the bank accounts” of the world governing body. These immense sums were intended to provide soccer in member nations with a “much-needed boost.” The calls for reform now sound just like those that followed the departure of Joseph Blatter—who was succeeded by Infantino in 2016.
The problem was never just this one proposal by Infantino, said Javier Tebas, president of Spain’s La Liga. “The problem is a model of association leadership that concentrates power, weakens checks and balances, and marginalizes those directly affected by the decisions,” he wrote. “Withdrawing a proposal doesn’t undo what has happened. It’s merely the tip of the iceberg.”
And at the very top sits Infantino, against whom resistance is growing even within FIFA. Has the critical mass that could threaten him already been reached? The *Times* reported that the top official could face an extraordinary meeting of the FIFA Council, at which he would be called upon to resign. Another possibility mentioned was that at least 43 of the 211 FIFA member associations could convene an extraordinary congress and hold a vote of no confidence there.
And then? A successor would have to be ready. UEFA President Ceferin would be a logical contender. However, the Slovenian lawyer has already ruled out running again for the European governing body in 2027. He said that after a certain amount of time, every organization needs “new blood.” But that statement is now more than two years old. And whether it applies to him and FIFA is another question.
Victor Montagliani, president of CONCACAF—the continental confederation responsible for North and Central America and the Caribbean—is said to have lofty ambitions. The Canadian has already given Infantino a dressing-down. “This latest unilateral and outrageous act, which is evidence of poor governance and weak leadership, is just the latest in a series of missteps and similar behavior,” Montagliani thundered.
But we mustn’t forget that Infantino knows the federation’s inner workings inside and out. He’s a master at rallying votes and securing support. After all, Infantino served as UEFA’s general secretary for many years before being elected to succeed Blatter as FIFA president in the wake of a corruption scandal. According to *The Guardian*, Infantino has hired a consulting firm as an immediate measure to smooth relations with the national associations. This move has not been officially confirmed.
Despite the increasingly harsh criticism, Infantino is not yet isolated. The legal scholar, who actually intends to run for a final four-year term as president at the 77th FIFA Congress in Rabat, Morocco, next March, is still receiving support. Egypt, Morocco, Lebanon, and Qatar recently reaffirmed their backing. Will that be enough?
03.08.2026, 07:43
