UEFA says FIFA's Infantino has lost confidence after collapsed World Cup investment plan
UEFA has declared that FIFA President Gianni Infantino no longer enjoys its confidence after a plan to sell World Cup commercial rights to private investors collapsed. Infantino withdrew the proposal following fierce opposition, including threats from UEFA member associations to boycott FIFA competitions.
UEFA issued a sharp rebuke on Saturday, saying no option should be excluded as European football's governing body seeks to end Gianni Infantino's decade-long reign as FIFA president. The statement came hours after FIFA scrapped a proposal to create a $20 billion entity to run the World Cup with private investment. UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin has been at the forefront of opposition, and the organization said the current FIFA leadership no longer enjoys the confidence of UEFA or many other football stakeholders.
CONCACAF, which oversees football in North and Central America and the Caribbean, demanded accountability and a full review of FIFA leadership, describing the proposal as a symptom of leaders who have stopped prioritizing football. The Asian Football Confederation's president, Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa, stressed that the future of global football must be based on consultation and respect for governance structures.
FIFA withdrew the plan early Saturday after Carlos Cordeiro, Infantino's senior adviser and a former Goldman Sachs banker who represented FIFA on a White House task force, resigned. FIFA chief operating officer Kevin Lamour told the AP that staff had been kept in the dark and that the project belonged to one person. UEFA's 55 member associations had agreed on Thursday to boycott the World Cup and other FIFA competitions if necessary.
The failed initiative is the third major controversy of Infantino's presidency. In 2018, he explored a $25 billion SoftBank-backed proposal for new competitions; in 2021, he advocated biennial World Cups; both were dropped. Infantino was re-elected unopposed in 2019 and 2023. The latest episode may be different, with the next FIFA election scheduled for Rabat, Morocco, in March and a November 18 deadline for candidates. A contested election would require 106 votes, and Europe, Asia and CONCACAF together have enough members to form a solid bloc.
Infantino's plan had envisioned a subsidiary 20% owned by outside investors, with New York-based investment firm launched by Joshua Kushner as anchor investor. Qatar's football association, however, issued a statement supporting Infantino, saying his decision to withdraw the proposal demonstrated wisdom in prioritizing unity among member associations.
