FIFA president Gianni Infantino is facing an escalating crisis after reports emerged that he had discussed selling a stake in the World Cup to a company linked to the brother of Donald Trump's son-in-law. The plan has since been abandoned, but the fallout continues to threaten his leadership of world football's governing body.
Infantino, who has led FIFA since 2016, called crisis talks this week at the organization's newly built African headquarters in Rabat, Morocco. Following the meeting, he issued a partial apology, conceding that the now-scrapped project "could have been handled differently." Critics, however, argue the statement fails to address the seriousness of a deal that could have compromised the governance of football's most prestigious tournament while potentially benefiting Infantino personally.
The backlash has been swift and severe. Football figures including Arsène Wenger and Luís Figo have publicly condemned Infantino's handling of the matter, joining a chorus of senior FIFA officials expressing dismay. UEFA, European football's governing body, issued a sharp response on Thursday, reaffirming its lack of confidence in Infantino's leadership following his attempt to move past the controversy.
The pressure intensified further on Friday when Norway became the first national federation to explicitly call for Infantino's resignation. The Norwegian federation's stance raises the possibility of a boycott of FIFA-organized competitions, with the Under-20 Women's World Cup in Poland next month potentially becoming the first flashpoint of such action.
Despite the mounting criticism, Infantino appears determined to remain in his post. His support base outside Europe seems to be holding firm, with Mexico and Argentina breaking from their regional confederations to publicly back his continued presidency, aligning themselves with African federations that have also expressed support for the embattled FIFA chief.
A statement released from FIFA's Rabat headquarters declared that the organization "will no longer tolerate any attacks on its integrity, good governance and due process" — a message that has drawn skepticism given the circumstances that prompted the current controversy.
The episode marks the latest in a series of controversies that have dogged Infantino's tenure, including the contentious awarding of the 2022 World Cup to Qatar and FIFA's handling of disciplinary matters such as red card suspensions. Observers note that Infantino has weathered previous storms by leveraging support cultivated across FIFA's global membership, particularly in Africa, Asia, and Latin America.
The current standoff between UEFA and FIFA's leadership raises the prospect of deeper institutional conflict within world football's governing structures. Unless Infantino steps down voluntarily, is removed from office, or loses an election scheduled for next March, tensions between European football authorities and FIFA's central leadership could deepen significantly.
The controversy adds to a pattern of scrutiny Infantino has faced throughout his presidency, including criticism over comments he made ahead of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, when he described feeling solidarity with marginalized groups including migrant workers and the LGBTQ+ community, remarks that were widely mocked at the time.
As national federations weigh their responses and FIFA's internal politics continue to fracture, the coming weeks are likely to prove decisive in determining whether Infantino can maintain his hold on power or whether the organization faces a prolonged period of institutional upheaval.
Based on reporting from The Guardian.