Gianni Infantino's grip on the presidency of Fifa is under increasing strain as a group of council members mobilizes to force an extraordinary general meeting that could evolve into a serious challenge to his leadership.
According to reporting from the Guardian, efforts to trigger the emergency meeting were already gathering pace before revelations surfaced about Infantino's now-abandoned scheme to sell equity stakes in the World Cup. The rebellion's roots lie in discontent over Fifa's handling of the Folarin Balogun case, in which the player's suspension was controversially lifted during the World Cup following a series of phone calls involving Donald Trump. Council members are demanding an independent inquiry into that decision.
The Fifa council, the organization's principal decision-making body, comprises 28 confederation representatives, eight vice-presidents and Infantino himself, totaling 37 voting members. Fifa regulations stipulate that a motion backed by at least 19 members—half the council—can compel an extraordinary general meeting. Sources indicate the number of dissenting members had already climbed into double figures even before the World Cup sell-off controversy broke.
That separate plan involved offering a 20% stake in a newly created World Cup operating entity to Thrive Capital, an investment firm founded by Joshua Kushner, brother of Jared Kushner, who is married to Trump's daughter. The proposal was scrapped in a Fifa statement issued in the early hours of Saturday after fierce opposition from Uefa, Concacaf and the Asian Football Confederation. Uefa and Concacaf subsequently released additional statements criticizing Infantino and calling for a comprehensive review of Fifa's governance structures.
The dissatisfaction over the Balogun affair runs deep. The Norwegian Football Association has already lodged a formal complaint with the International Olympic Committee, alleging that Fifa violated principles of political neutrality by yielding to pressure from Trump. Fifa maintains that its ethics committee reached its decision independently and through proper channels, though a written report on the hearing has not yet been made public.
Support for Infantino remains split along regional lines. The Confederation of African Football and South America's Conmebol continue to back him firmly, and the Qatar Football Association issued a statement affirming its support for him to remain in office. However, with 14 of the 37 council seats held by representatives from Europe and North America, any serious push to remove him would likely require backing from Asian confederations as well.
The council is not scheduled to convene again until November, but the rebel faction is reportedly working to accelerate the timeline and force an emergency session where Infantino would need to justify his decisions. Should he decline to authorize an external review of the Balogun matter, insiders suggest the movement to remove him could intensify, with potential alternative candidates for the presidency already being approached.
Qatar's public support has apparently ruled out any presidential ambitions from Paris Saint-Germain chief Nasser Al-Khelaifi. Attention now turns to whether Concacaf president Victor Montagliani might be willing to mount a challenge. A run by Asian Football Confederation president Sheikh Salman, who narrowly lost to Infantino in the 2016 election, appears unlikely without the backing of his own confederation.
Despite the turmoil, Infantino has reportedly secured over 200 letters of support for his re-election bid, though such endorsements can be withdrawn. The deadline for rival candidates to declare their candidacy is November 18. An alternative path to removing Infantino could involve an emergency Fifa congress and a vote of no confidence, which requires submissions from 43 member associations to be called.
Based on reporting from the Guardian (football).