Gianni Infantino’s ambitious plan to reshape FIFA’s commercial future has suffered a major setback, but the battle for control of global football politics may have only just begun.After FIFA was forced to abandon its proposal to create a $20 billion company involving private investors, European football’s governing body UEFA launched a strong attack on the FIFA leadership and hinted at possible moves to challenge Infantino’s decade-long presidency.
UEFA loses confidence in FIFA leadership
UEFA, led by president Aleksander Ceferin, said it had lost faith in the current FIFA leadership and called for accountability over the failed proposal.“No option should be off the table,” UEFA said in a strongly worded statement. “The current FIFA leadership has not only lost UEFA’s confidence but also that of many other members of the football family.”UEFA criticised the way the proposal was developed, questioning the lack of transparency behind the plan.“We cannot keep going on like this with secret schemes on fast-track timescales, cooked up by faceless individuals and of dubious benefit to the game,” UEFA said. “We must identify those responsible and hold them to account.”The European body added that it would work with its member associations and other confederations to understand how the proposal emerged and ensure such situations are not repeated.
Infantino’s plan collapses amid growing opposition
Infantino’s proposal involved spinning off FIFA’s commercial businesses, including the men’s and women’s World Cups and Club World Cups, into a new subsidiary valued at around $20 billion, with private investors owning a stake.The plan faced immediate resistance, with UEFA’s 55 member associations agreeing to oppose the move. Football bodies in North America and Asia also joined the opposition.The situation worsened when Carlos Cordeiro, Infantino’s senior adviser and FIFA representative on a White House World Cup task force, resigned. Cordeiro, a former president of US Soccer, called on other senior FIFA officials to speak out.FIFA chief operating officer Kevin Lamour also criticised the process, telling The Associated Press that staff were not fully informed about the proposal.“It is the project of one person,” Lamour wrote. “Not only must this project not go ahead … but the time has now come for football political leaders to ask themselves the right questions and make the right decisions.”The collapse marks another failed ambitious reform attempt by Infantino, who previously faced opposition over proposals including a biennial World Cup and a reported $25 billion investment plan for new competitions.While those earlier controversies did not prevent him from being re-elected unopposed in 2019 and 2023, the latest crisis has triggered the strongest challenge yet to his leadership.With the next FIFA presidential election scheduled for 2027, UEFA’s warning suggests the fight over the future direction of world football has entered a new phase.
