A coalition of football supporters' organisations from around the world has started a petition urging Gianni Infantino to step down as president of Fifa, while also pushing for a broad overhaul of the governing body's structure.
The move comes amid growing scrutiny of Infantino's leadership after he was compelled to shelve proposals to bring in private investment to operate Fifa competitions, including the men's and women's World Cups. Last week, three of football's continental confederations publicly accused Infantino of "deception" in how the investment scheme was drawn up and revealed. Uefa, the body overseeing European football, went further, stating it had "lost confidence" in his leadership and signalling its readiness to boycott Fifa events.
Despite the backlash, Infantino continues to enjoy backing in certain regions, particularly Africa and South America. Nevertheless, supporter groups have now formally called for his exit through a petition hosted on change.org, which has already gathered endorsements from fan associations across all six of Fifa's confederations, encompassing both national and continental bodies.
In a joint statement, the fan organisations described the attempt to bring private investors into the World Cup as a betrayal that supporters would not forget. They said the plan had been assembled in secrecy and pushed through without consulting Fifa's own membership or the wider football community that sustains the sport's popularity.
The statement went on to argue that repeated breaches of trust have left Infantino unfit to continue leading the organisation, insisting that stepping down was now essential both for Fifa's credibility and for safeguarding football's future.
Beyond calling for his resignation, the petition also demands structural reform within Fifa, specifically the inclusion of fans and other football stakeholders in decision-making processes that affect the sport's direction.
Ronan Evain, executive director of Football Supporters Europe—one of the groups backing the campaign—stressed that Infantino leaving office would only be the beginning. "The departure of Gianni Infantino is a first and a must, but that can only have a positive impact if it's followed by some reform of the office and of governance," he said. He further argued that the concentration of power in a single individual's hands reflects deeper flaws in how Fifa is run: "If a man can concentrate so many powers then the governance of Fifa is not fit for purpose."
Evain suggested that the changes implemented in 2016 following previous governance scandals have since been undone or rendered meaningless under Infantino's tenure. He called for an open approach to rethinking how football is governed going forward, pointing to models used outside of sport as potential examples. Among the ideas worth exploring, he mentioned the concept of a rotating presidency as one option that could merit consideration.
Fifa has yet to respond publicly to the petition or the criticism directed at Infantino. The organisation was contacted for comment but had not issued a statement at the time of publication.
The growing rift between Fifa's leadership and both continental confederations and supporter groups marks one of the most significant governance challenges Infantino has faced since taking charge of world football's governing body. With Uefa already distancing itself and fan coalitions now openly demanding his resignation, pressure appears to be mounting from multiple directions simultaneously.
Based on reporting from The Guardian.