Pressure on FIFA president Gianni Infantino has intensified after CONCACAF called for a comprehensive review of his leadership, days after UEFA reportedly urged him to resign or face a vote of no confidence.
The North, Central America and Caribbean football confederation made the demand on Saturday while welcoming Infantino’s decision to abandon a controversial plan to sell stakes in the World Cup.
In an official statement, CONCACAF praised the withdrawal of the proposal and said the decision demonstrated the unity of football’s governing community. However, it made clear that the issue would not end with the plan being dropped.
“At a moment that required honest leadership, our members stood together to defend the long-term interests of football and the principles of good governance. That unity prevailed,” the statement said.
CONCACAF had already publicly opposed Infantino’s proposal before its withdrawal. Although the confederation welcomed the decision to abandon it, it said the circumstances surrounding the project raised wider concerns about the way FIFA is governed.
“The future of the World Cup, football’s greatest asset, was developed outside any existing governance framework and without transparency, consultation or due process,” CONCACAF said.
It added: “This is a symptom of governance that has stopped putting football first,” before concluding that “a comprehensive review of this presidency is essential”.
The statement marks a significant escalation in the pressure facing Infantino, who has already come under scrutiny from UEFA. According to reports, European football’s governing body has asked him to step down or risk facing a vote of no confidence.
CONCACAF said its representatives would now take a more direct role in addressing the concerns raised. They will do so both independently and through the FIFA Council, with the aim of ensuring that questions over governance, accountability and leadership are dealt with through the institutions and procedures established in FIFA’s regulations.
The confederation’s position reflects growing concern among continental football authorities over the process used to develop Infantino’s World Cup proposal. Its criticism focused not only on the plan itself but also on the absence of what it described as transparency, consultation and established procedures.
Infantino’s decision to withdraw the project followed a wave of criticism. The proposal had involved selling stakes in the World Cup, an idea that prompted opposition before it was ultimately abandoned.
CONCACAF’s intervention means the FIFA president’s decision to retreat from the plan has not brought the dispute to a close. Instead, the confederation has used the episode to call for a broader examination of his presidency and the governance structures surrounding football’s biggest competition.
The confederation said it would continue to act through FIFA’s formal institutions, rather than limiting its response to a public statement. Its representatives are expected to raise the issues directly through the FIFA Council and seek action on governance, accountability and leadership.
The concerns expressed by CONCACAF now sit alongside those attributed to UEFA, increasing the pressure on Infantino from major continental bodies. While the World Cup proposal has been withdrawn, the debate over FIFA’s leadership and decision-making processes remains unresolved.
