Gianni Infantino's grip on the Fifa presidency is under unprecedented strain after a botched plan to sell stakes in the World Cup to private investors triggered a wave of withdrawn endorsements ahead of the March 2027 election. While the scheme has since been scrapped, the fallout has exposed deep divisions across world football's governing bodies, with confederations and national federations splitting sharply between those abandoning Infantino and those rallying to his defence.
Uefa has been the most forceful in its opposition, maintaining its boycott of Fifa competitions despite the plan's withdrawal. The European body argues it has received no guarantee that similar attempts to "disfigure the game" won't be repeated. England's FA withdrew its backing, citing concerns over the "lack of process and governance" behind the proposal, even after Infantino issued a written apology. Wales went further, with the FAW stating that "recent failures in good governance, processes, leadership, values, stakeholder management, communications and sound judgment" had cost Infantino its confidence.
Finland was the first association to formally pull its support, setting off a chain reaction across Europe. Serbia, Sweden, Croatia, Albania and Greece all followed with similar letters to Fifa, many citing long-term governance concerns rather than reacting solely to the sell-off controversy. Germany and Denmark had already declined to back Infantino before the scandal broke, meaning they did not need to formally withdraw support.
Criticism has not been confined to Europe. Concacaf accused Infantino of a pattern of poor governance, warning that "a comprehensive reckoning with this presidency is imperative," with confederation president Victor Montagliani emerging as a potential rival candidate. The Asian Football Confederation also condemned the lack of consultation and called for an urgent governance review. Global players' union Fifpro accused Infantino of a "profound abuse of presidential power."
Norway's federation president Lise Klaveness has been among the most outspoken critics, telling the Guardian that "the trust is now gone for us, there is no way back for Infantino," and calling for his resignation. The Netherlands' KNVB said it had suffered a "fundamental loss of confidence" in his leadership. Canadian prime minister Mark Carney also weighed in, saying a lack of confidence in Infantino "should be fatal" to his presidency.
Jordan's federation president, Prince Ali bin Hussein, alleged Fifa attempted to leverage overdue prize money as pressure to secure his endorsement, a claim tied to delayed payments for Jordan's run to the Arab Cup final. Despite receiving the funds shortly after going public, Prince Ali maintained he would not support Infantino.
Yet Infantino retains substantial backing elsewhere. The African confederation Caf became the first continental body to unanimously reaffirm support, with president Patrice Motsepe pledging continued cooperation on governance and development. Numerous African federations, including Egypt, Morocco, Nigeria, Uganda, Malawi and Gambia, cited the tangible benefits of Fifa's financial and infrastructure investment in their decisions to stand by him. Gambia's federation chief Lamin Kaba Bajo said he would do "everything within our means" to secure Infantino's re-election.
In the Americas, Argentina and Mexico broke from the wider Concacaf and Conmebol stance to back Infantino directly, while Paraguay also voiced support. Qatar, Kuwait, Lebanon, Indonesia, the Philippines and several smaller Asian federations have similarly reaffirmed confidence in his leadership.
Conmebol and the Oceania Football Confederation have yet to declare a definitive position on Infantino himself, though both expressed unease over the unilateral nature of the sell-off proposal before it was abandoned. With battle lines forming ahead of the 2027 vote, football's governing landscape appears increasingly fractured along regional and financial interests.
Based on reporting from The Independent.