‘Not fit to be FIFA president’: Infantino faces revolt over World Cup sell-off plan

FIFA president Gianni Infantino faced an unprecedented challenge to his leadership on Thursday as senior European football officials questioned his fitness to remain in office after he failed to provide satisfactory answers over a controversial plan to sell commercial stakes in the World Cup to private investors. Although Infantino apologised during a tense three-and-a-half-hour meeting of the FIFA Council in Zurich, his critics said the explanation fell short of addressing fundamental concerns about transparency, accountability and decision-making within world football's governing body.

The confrontation marked a significant escalation in the crisis surrounding Infantino's presidency, with European football leaders increasingly determined to field a challenger against him in the FIFA presidential election scheduled for March 2027. Debbie Hewitt, chair of England's Football Association and a FIFA vice-president, said the president had failed to provide documents relating to the abandoned FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) proposal despite repeated requests. She warned that his continued refusal to answer questions raised serious doubts about his suitability for the position.

"The man has to answer those questions. If he doesn't answer those questions, no, he is not fit to be the FIFA president," Hewitt said after the meeting. She acknowledged that Infantino had expressed regret over his handling of the affair but said his apology had not changed her assessment of his leadership.

𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗱 𝗖𝘂𝗽 𝗱𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝗮𝘁 𝗰𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗰𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗶𝘀

The dispute centres on Infantino's attempt earlier this year to establish FIFA Forward Enterprise, a proposed commercial structure under which private investors would have acquired a stake in the commercial rights associated with FIFA's major tournaments, including the World Cup. The proposal reportedly involved a valuation of approximately USD 20 billion, with investors led by Joshua Kushner's Thrive Capital potentially acquiring a 20 per cent stake worth around USD 4.2 billion.

The initiative was abandoned in July after provoking fierce opposition from football administrators who argued that such a consequential decision had been developed without adequate consultation with FIFA's governing bodies. The proposed arrangement raised questions about the valuation of FIFA's commercial assets, the potential influence of private investors and whether football's governing institutions would retain sufficient control over the revenues generated by their most valuable competitions.

Infantino began Thursday's meeting by apologising for failing to consult the council before advancing the proposal. However, critics said the apology addressed the lack of consultation without adequately explaining the commercial rationale, valuation or circumstances surrounding the negotiations. Hewitt said members had requested the relevant documents but were instead asked to submit their questions in writing, leaving many of their concerns unresolved.

𝗘𝘂𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗻 𝗳𝗼𝗼𝘁𝗯𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗱𝗲𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗱𝘀 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲

German Football Association president Bernd Neuendorf, one of UEFA's representatives on the 37-member FIFA Council, delivered an equally critical assessment of the meeting. He said the explanations offered had failed to satisfy European delegates and called for fundamental reforms to FIFA's administration and governance arrangements.

Neuendorf argued that restoring confidence in the organisation would require more than procedural changes, indicating that he no longer believed Infantino could credibly oversee the reforms being demanded. The German official also expressed confidence that an alternative candidate would emerge to contest the presidential election.

The opposition is being spearheaded by UEFA, whose relationship with Infantino has deteriorated sharply since details of the proposed investment arrangement became public. The dispute has also drawn criticism from other continental football bodies, reflecting wider unease over the concentration of decision-making authority within FIFA.

UEFA has pursued legal steps in the United States seeking access to documents associated with the abandoned proposal, with the possibility of further proceedings in Switzerland. The legal challenge involves allegations concerning the financial management and valuation of the proposed commercial arrangement. Those allegations remain contested and have not been established as findings of wrongdoing.

The next major deadline falls on November 18, when nominations for the FIFA presidential election close. Infantino, who has led the organisation since 2016, intends to seek another term in March.

𝗧𝗿𝘂𝗺𝗽 𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗶𝘇𝗲, 𝗕𝗮𝗹𝗼𝗴𝘂𝗻 𝗰𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝗿𝗮𝗶𝘀𝗲 𝗾𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀

The confrontation extended beyond the proposed commercial deal, with council members also seeking explanations about FIFA's handling of the disciplinary case involving United States international Folarin Balogun and the organisation's decision to establish a peace prize associated with US President Donald Trump.

Balogun's suspension following a red card during the 2026 World Cup was overturned after Trump contacted Infantino and sought a review of the decision. The episode raised questions about whether political intervention had influenced a disciplinary process that should operate independently of external pressure.

Council members sought greater clarity on how the decision had been reached and whether FIFA's existing disciplinary regulations provided sufficient safeguards against similar controversies. A proposal to amend the regulations was deferred pending further information, which Infantino is expected to provide before the council's next meeting in December.

The FIFA Peace Prize also came under scrutiny. The award was created last year and presented to Trump, prompting questions about the appropriateness of a football governing body establishing such an honour and the procedures governing its selection. FIFA has now agreed to review whether the award should continue, referring the matter to its social responsibility committee.

𝗜𝗻𝗳𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗼 𝗿𝗲𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻𝘀 𝘀𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝗼𝘂𝘁𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝗘𝘂𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗲

Despite the increasingly vocal opposition from European football administrators, Infantino continues to enjoy significant backing among national associations outside Europe, particularly in Africa. That support could prove decisive in any presidential contest because FIFA's 211 member associations participate in electing the organisation's president.

Ahmed Yahya, president of Mauritania's football federation and a FIFA Council member, publicly backed Infantino's continued leadership, illustrating the divisions between regional football organisations over the president's future.

The council also considered measures to increase financial support for national football associations, with a proposal involving the distribution of approximately USD 3.5 billion from FIFA's reserves receiving approval. Such funding programmes remain important to many smaller football federations, which depend heavily on FIFA assistance for infrastructure, development and administration.

The meeting also resulted in the appointment of Asian Football Confederation president Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa to lead a committee examining governance reforms. However, critics have questioned whether institutional changes can restore confidence without greater openness about past decisions.

𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵 𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗿𝗴𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝘀 𝗱𝗲𝗰𝗶𝘀𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗲𝘀𝘁

The leadership dispute now places considerable importance on the November nomination deadline and the presidential election scheduled for March 18, 2027, in Rabat, Morocco. Although European officials believe a credible challenger can be found, Infantino's opponents have yet to unite behind a candidate capable of securing support across FIFA's regional confederations.

Former Arsenal manager Arsène Wenger has been discussed among potential alternatives, although there is no indication that he has agreed to enter the contest. Former Switzerland international Ramon Vega has expressed interest, but any challenger must secure the necessary nominations from member associations.

For Infantino, the immediate challenge is to rebuild confidence among council members who believe important commercial and disciplinary decisions have been taken without adequate consultation. For his opponents, the challenge is to translate dissatisfaction into a viable electoral coalition.

Thursday's meeting demonstrated that an apology alone would not resolve the dispute. With demands for disclosure unanswered and the presidential election approaching, the controversy has developed into a broader confrontation over who controls FIFA, how its financial decisions are made and whether its leadership can be held accountable by the football associations it represents.