World football’s governing body, FIFA, has said it will not proceed with its proposal to sell a piece of its business empire to outside investors after the project was met with fierce resistance from some of its member associations. FIFA’s plan was to raise up to $4.2bn by selling about a 20 percent stake in a new unit that would run FIFA events including the World Cup, valuing it at $20bn. This has caused a lot of negative reactions and criticism for the President.
In a statement, UEFA said that it was “irresponsible and indefensible that a proposal of such significance for football was conceived in secret”. The Switzerland-based organisation’s statement also accused FIFA of putting the sport’s “soul” up for sale. “Having listened carefully to all the views, it has become clear that the project has created divisions of a nature that, regardless of the level of support, are no longer in the interest of the objective set out in the first place,” FIFA President Gianni Infantino said a while ago.
This event has raised doubts about Infantino’s position. The 56-year-old, who was born in Switzerland to Italian parents, was already under pressure due to his perceived relationship with United States President Donald Trump who openly admitted to calling the FIFA President to help reverse a red card given to USA striker Balogun during the 2026 World Cup.
Is these series of event enough to realistically challenge the Infatino’s position?
The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) had been a key ally for Infantino in his 11-year presidency, but in their statement of opposition to the private investment plans came the recommendation that FIFA must urgently review its management style.
“[The plans] exposed fundamental weaknesses in FIFA’s consultation and decision-making processes that must now be addressed,” said the statement from the AFC.
“Accordingly, the AFC calls upon FIFA to undertake an urgent review of its governance and decision-making framework”.
Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa, the AFC’s longtime president, narrowly lost the FIFA presidential election to Infantino in 2016.
The Bahraini said in his own statement on Thursday that FIFA’s plans were “totally unacceptable”. His statement added, “FIFA’s unilateral actions appear to undermine the very foundations of continental football, which are based on solidarity, cooperation and transparency.” North American football chief Victor Montagliani, meanwhile, has been linked with a move to challenge Infantino for the FIFA presidency in next March’s election.
Alongside other football governing bodies, European and other national football associations have formally rescinded their letters of endorsement for Infantino’s March 2027 re-election bid, with several demanding his immediate resignation.
- Norway & England: The Norwegian Football Federation and the English Football Association (FA) have formally called for Infantino to resign.
- Wales: The Football Association of Wales (FAW) withdrew support, stating Infantino had “lost the confidence” of the board due to failures in leadership, transparency, and values.
- Republic of Ireland, Finland, Serbia, and New Zealand: All have officially written to FIFA withdrawing their support for his re-election due to severe governance and transparency concerns.
- Belgium: Belgian football authorities vehemently condemned Infantino following the controversial intervention that reversed a suspension for a U.S. player during the 2026 World Cup.
Senior Football Executives and Officials have reacted too.
- Infantino’s own senior presidential adviser, Carlos Cordeiro resigned in protest, publicly condemning the $20 billion commercial subsidiary valuation as a “bad deal for football”.
- FIFA’s Chief Operating Officer, Kevin Lamour publicly accused Infantino of misleading staff, keeping them completely in the dark, and demanded the project be permanently halted.
- FIFA’s Secretary General addressed staff internally to condemn the “unfortunate episodes” and the turmoil surrounding the privatization attempt.
- : The head of Spain’s La Liga, Javier Tebas stated publicly that Infantino “must not continue at the helm of FIFA”.
Some Players Union members also released an explosive statement slamming Infantino, accusing him of a “profound abuse of presidential power” and demanding deep structural reform.
- Luis Figo: The legendary former Portuguese player became the first high-profile ex-player to publicly call for Infantino’s resignation.
- Jamie Raskin (U.S. Congressman): The top Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee formally accused Infantino of “outright bribery” and demanded documents detailing improper ties between FIFA and political figures.
