Europe’s football bodies maintain stance on Fifa president amid ongoing dispute
Uefa’s Continued Stance on Fifa Leadership
Uefa has stated that Fifa’s backing of its president, Gianni Infantino, has not altered its position regarding confidence in his leadership. The European governing body maintains that its conditions for reversing its stance have not been met, despite the withdrawal of a proposal to sell stakes in major competitions to private investors. Uefa had previously expressed a loss of confidence in Infantino’s presidency, describing the Fifa Forward Enterprise (FFE) proposal as a “shabby, back room, opaque deal.”
The English FA has formally withdrawn its support for Infantino’s re-election. Uefa’s statement highlighted two key conditions: the withdrawal of proposals to sell off major competitions and assurances that such attempts to “disfigure the game” would not be made again. According to Uefa, these conditions remain unfulfilled. The organisation noted that an announcement indicating support for Infantino from individuals employed by him, whose careers depend on his favour, “changes nothing.”
Reactions and Potential Boycotts
The controversy stems from Infantino’s abandoned plans to sell stakes in a company that would run the World Cup to private investors. He had reportedly offered associations $40m if they supported the proposal for private investment in tournaments, including the men’s and women’s World Cups, through the FFE subsidiary. Fifa acknowledged “mistakes” regarding FFE during a meeting, stating it was “not the intention” for the Fifa Council and member associations to “feel excluded from the process.”
Despite Fifa’s acknowledgment of errors, Uefa continues to seek answers to key questions, including who was involved in the proposal, whether there was a competitive tender process, and if Infantino stood to benefit personally. The European confederation views Infantino’s attempt to share blame for the aborted proposals as an effort to avoid personal responsibility.
The world players’ union, FIFPRO, has also condemned what it termed an “abuse of presidential power” concerning Infantino’s abandoned plans. FIFPRO noted Fifa’s statement with “deep concern” and criticised the governing body for enabling the plans to be developed. The union called for governance and structural reforms to prevent any individual from making unilateral decisions in the future. FIFPRO also addressed threats from Fifa regarding future “attacks on its integrity,” stating that portraying legitimate scrutiny as disloyalty would only deepen concerns.
A boycott of competitions, including the World Cup, remains an option for European teams. Uefa’s stance will be tested with the Fifa Women’s U20s World Cup, scheduled to begin in Poland on 5 September. Six European countries, including England, are expected to participate. The next major test for senior national teams could come in October, when England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, and the Republic of Ireland are scheduled to compete in play-offs for qualification to the 2027 Fifa Women’s World Cup.
Challenges to Leadership and Future Considerations
Infantino received “full support” from Fifa’s management board in a statement following crisis talks in Morocco, despite the controversy. This backing included Secretary General Mattias Grafstrom, who had previously described the World Cup plans as a “sad and reproachable series of events.” However, Infantino and Grafstrom were later pictured together at a Women’s Africa Cup of Nations match.
Other members of the Fifa management board who attended the meeting included finance chief Thomas Peyer, legal chief Emilio Garcia Silvero, chief of staff Daniel O’Toole, chief of member associations Elkhan Mammadov, and media relations director Bryan Swanson. Notably, Fifa’s chief operating officer Kevin Lamour, who had strongly criticised Infantino’s FFE plan, was reportedly not invited to the meeting. Lamour had called the plan “the project of one person” and suggested that football’s political leaders needed to ask themselves the right questions.
While Fifa stated that “mistakes made were acknowledged” and an “apology was made,” Uefa believes there has been no direct accountability for the controversy. Uefa is attempting to exert pressure to encourage Infantino’s resignation, but he appears to have no intention of stepping down. European football bodies seem to be struggling to gather sufficient support to challenge his position effectively.
Lamin Kaba Bajo, president of the Gambia Football Federation, praised Infantino’s “courage” and expressed continued support. Only Jordan has publicly stated it will not vote for his re-election in March. Concacaf, while issuing a public statement after the proposal was aborted, did not go as far as Uefa in expressing a loss of confidence. Conmebol, the South American confederation, indicated it would not support actions that disregard Fifa’s mechanisms before the presidential election.
Uefa could attempt to force an emergency meeting of the Fifa Council, but securing the support of 19 out of 36 confederation and football association heads has proven difficult. Another option is a vote of no confidence, which would require 106 votes from Fifa’s 211 member associations. If Uefa cannot secure this majority, the vote would be ineffective. The possibility of finding a unity candidate to challenge Infantino in the election next March, with Concacaf president Victor Montagliani as a potential candidate, remains open. However, any option that takes time could allow Infantino to strengthen his position, especially with Fifa expected to announce new funding for member associations by the end of the year.
The Football Association formally announced its intention to withdraw support for Infantino’s re-election, with a vote currently scheduled for March 2027.
Source: bbc.co.uk
Nathan Crowley is the Sports News Writer at NewsUK, covering rugby union, golf and boxing with six years of reporting experience. He moved from regional newspapers into digital sport. He holds a degree in Journalism from Cardiff University and completed an NCTJ diploma. Based in Cardiff, he plays amateur rugby and follows the Six Nations closely. “Speed and accuracy are not a trade-off in sport news.”
