Gianni Infantino’s position as FIFA president has been badly weakened after UEFA threatened to boycott all FIFA competitions, including the World Cup, while several other confederations and senior allies turned against his plan to sell stakes in FIFA competitions to private investment firms.
Just 24 hours earlier, Infantino appeared to be in an impregnable position as the most powerful figure in world football. However, the proposal was reportedly pursued without the knowledge of other senior FIFA figures, triggering a backlash that has left his future uncertain.
UEFA, Infantino’s fiercest critic, delivered its strongest challenge on Thursday by warning it could withdraw from FIFA events. European football’s governing body now believes it has a rare opportunity to force him out, although it is far from the only federation unhappy with his leadership.
CONCACAF, the confederation with which Infantino worked closely in preparation for the 2026 World Cup, has called for a “full review” of FIFA’s leadership following the proposal. Some traditionally loyal countries within the Asian Football Confederation also declined to support him.
The president was then deserted by two close allies. Senior adviser Carlos Cordeiro left first, followed by chief operating officer Kevin Lamour. Although Infantino reversed his position in the early hours of Saturday morning, UEFA responded with another damaging statement, saying it had lost confidence in him.
The immediate question is whether the opposition can translate its anger into a formal attempt to remove him.
Infantino still has support among FIFA’s 211 member associations and could try to remain in office until March, when he is due to stand for a fourth and final term.
One possible route would be an emergency meeting of the FIFA Council. Such a meeting would be called if 19 of its 37 members demanded one.
UEFA has nine council members, the AFC has seven, CONCACAF five, Africa six, CONMEBOL five and Oceania three. The council is completed by Infantino and FIFA secretary general Mattias Grafstrom.
BBC Sport understands there are doubts that opponents could secure the required 19 votes. If they did, the meeting would have to be held within two weeks. The council could then ask Infantino to submit his resignation, although he would be entitled to refuse. Even so, such a move would increase the pressure on him.
The next stage would be an extraordinary FIFA Congress involving all 211 member associations. It could be called if one-fifth of the associations, or 43, “make such a request in writing”.
That means UEFA, with 55 members, can initiate the process whenever it chooses. The congress would take at least two months to arrange and more probably three. There would also be no guarantee that a vote of no confidence would succeed.
In practice, the vote would amount to a de facto election, even if no alternative candidate were standing. A total of 106 votes would be needed to remove Infantino.
UEFA has 55 votes, Africa 54, Asia 46, CONCACAF 35, Oceania 11 and CONMEBOL 10. Africa, CONMEBOL and Oceania have not criticised Infantino’s investment plan.
Although 136 countries officially rejected the proposal, opposing the plan is not the same as voting to remove the president. Qatar has already publicly backed Infantino, while Mexico has distanced itself from the joint CONCACAF statement.
Potential challengers
The search for a credible alternative would be another major complication for UEFA. Infantino was re-elected unopposed in both 2019 and 2023, and anyone wishing to challenge him in March must declare their candidacy by 18 November.
A European candidate could struggle to win worldwide backing because UEFA’s campaign against Infantino might be interpreted as an attempt by Europe to take control of FIFA. Any challenger would need to attract support from countries in CONCACAF, Africa and Asia that have previously been loyal to Infantino but may now be persuaded to change their votes.
The leading possibility appears to be CONCACAF president Victor Montagliani. Like Infantino, he was elected in 2016 on a promise to improve governance. The former president of Canada Soccer played a significant role in the preparation for and delivery of the 2026 World Cup. Montagliani speaks French, Italian and Spanish as well as English.
Another possible candidate is AFC president Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa. First elected in 2013, he was returned unopposed for a fourth term running until 2027.
Sheikh Salman approved the AFC’s forceful criticism of the way FIFA is being run under Infantino. He also leads a 46-member confederation in which many associations understand how substantial the sums proposed in Infantino’s plan would be compared with their overall football spending.
Paris Saint-Germain president Nasser Al-Khelaifi is considered a less likely option. The Qatari, who also chairs European Football Clubs, helped unite European football after the failed European Super League threatened to divide the game.
In theory, Al-Khelaifi would be a serious opponent for Infantino. However, there is no indication that he wants the position, and Qatar’s continued support for Infantino could also count against him.
Can Infantino survive?
In most organisations, the events of the past few days would make it difficult for a leader to continue. Football, however, has repeatedly shown that it does not operate like a normal business.
Sepp Blatter was re-elected just one week before resigning in 2015, when a corruption scandal left him with no realistic alternative.
Infantino has indicated that he intends to fight on. In a statement issued on Saturday, he said his intent “was to bring all interested parties back together in the coming days and weeks”.
A conciliatory approach could yet help him contain the crisis. Morocco, one of the co-hosts of the 2030 World Cup, backed Infantino on Saturday evening, while Egypt praised him for cancelling his proposed plan.
Infantino may believe that winning back member associations one at a time would reduce the likelihood of a successful no-confidence vote. His support base has remained strong for a long period, and the potential vote is still around three months away, giving him time to repair some of the damage.
The contest is effectively a race to 106 votes. The longer the process takes, the more opportunity Infantino has to convince former allies that the proposal was an isolated mistake.
For UEFA, the challenge is to create circumstances in which Infantino has no option but to resign. That would require criticism from federations around the world to continue and intensify.
The involvement of major sponsors could prove particularly damaging. During FIFA’s 2015 crisis, Sony, Emirates, Castrol, Continental Tyres and Johnson & Johnson were among companies that ended major sponsorship agreements.
There has been no indication so far that sponsors are preparing to follow that path. But the dispute has the potential to continue for some time, leaving Infantino’s position under sustained pressure.
