Uefa is at the forefront of a coordinated effort to remove Gianni Infantino from the Fifa presidency following the failure of his controversial proposal to privatise the World Cup, according to reports. The setback has left the Swiss official's authority significantly weakened, with growing doubts over whether he will even reach the next presidential election, scheduled for March 2027.
Critics of Infantino, led by European football's governing body alongside Concacaf, are working on multiple fronts to squeeze him out of office. One key tactic involves undermining his traditional method of securing support ahead of elections—offering associations increased funding. Uefa and Concacaf argue that such money should already be flowing to member federations given the substantial revenue generated by the recent World Cup, effectively removing Infantino's leverage.
Adding to the pressure, Uefa has raised the prospect of formal legal proceedings. A letter sent to Infantino, initially reported by the Daily Telegraph, stated that the organisation "is actively considering legal action, arbitration, and/or regulatory complaints... arising out of and in connection with the FFE plan proposed by Fifa." The correspondence also demanded that Fifa preserve all relevant documents and electronic records, explicitly stating these requirements override any standard data deletion policies.
Infantino's position has also been damaged by a wave of associations withdrawing their endorsement letters for his potential re-election bid covering 2027 to 2031. Wales and Finland are among the first European federations to begin this process, with England's FA also reportedly preparing to follow suit. This reversal is particularly striking given that, in the lead-up to the World Cup, numerous associations had reportedly felt pressured into signing letters of support, with more than 200 eventually submitted.
Following the announcement that the privatisation plan would be abandoned, attention turned to a closing remark from Infantino suggesting he intended to reconvene stakeholders "in the coming days and weeks in the spirit of shared interest in our game," with the aim of supporting nations most in need of assistance. Many within football's corridors of power interpreted this as an attempt to funnel additional funding toward associations in exchange for political backing.
However, Uefa and Concacaf moved swiftly to counter that strategy. In a statement issued Saturday, Uefa said it would begin working immediately with stakeholders worldwide to reform how resources are distributed through Fifa's existing Forward programme. "We must start to use some of that money that is sat idle in Fifa's bank account to deliver the kick start that the grassroots and the wider game need in each of the 211 countries of Fifa," the statement read. "But we don't need to sell off the family silver to pay for it."
Concacaf echoed this position, saying it would "work within that same framework to determine how existing vast reserves can be dispersed to our membership via the Fifa Forward funding for football development across our region, without compromising our shared future."
One insider suggested the coordinated statements had left Infantino with few remaining options, saying: "After these statements on cash reserves I'm not sure what options Gianni has left."
The mounting resistance—spanning withdrawn endorsements, blocked funding tactics, and the looming threat of litigation—represents one of the most serious challenges to Infantino's leadership since he assumed the Fifa presidency. With major federations now openly working against him, questions are increasingly being raised about his long-term future at the helm of world football's governing body.
Based on reporting from The Independent.