A bruising 24 hours - what next for Fifa and under-pressure Infantino?
After attempting to sell stakes in Fifa competitions without warning, Gianni Infantino faces unprecedented pressure from UEFA and allies.
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
- Fifa president Gianni Infantino faces a severe threat after attempting to sell stakes in competitions to private investment firms.
- UEFA delivered a crushing blow by threatening to boycott all Fifa competitions, including the World Cup.
- Close allies including senior adviser Carlos Cordeiro and COO Kevin Lamour abandoned him.
- His future hinges on potential resignation, an emergency council meeting, or an extraordinary congress vote.
A week is a long time in football politics. On Tuesday morning, Gianni Infantino was in an impregnable position holding the most powerful job in football. Now, after trying to sell stakes in Fifa competitions to private investment firms seemingly without anyone else's knowledge, his position is heavily under threat.
Uefa, Infantino's fiercest critic, played its trump card on Thursday by threatening a complete boycott of all Fifa competitions, including the World Cup. European football's governing body sensed a rare opportunity to remove him. Adding to the damage, loyal countries in the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) shunned him, followed by high-profile departures of senior adviser Carlos Cordeiro and chief operating officer Kevin Lamour.
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
Following Infantino's backtracking early Saturday morning, Uefa issued a devastating statement declaring it had lost confidence in him. The battle lines are drawn, and the potential exit routes include:
- Voluntary resignation, echoing former president Sepp Blatter's departure in 2015.
- An emergency meeting of the Fifa Council, triggered by 19 out of 37 council members.
- An extraordinary congress called by one-fifth, or 43, of the 211 Fifa member associations making a written request.
This unprecedented crisis underscores the delicate balance of power within international football governance. When financial ventures bypass traditional consensus and alienate major continental stakeholders like UEFA, even an entrenched leader can quickly find their position untenable, despite the complex procedural hurdles required to oust them.
Should the situation head toward an election in March where Infantino faces the end of his term limits, critics will need to unite behind a strong candidate, with Concacaf president Victor Montagliani and AFC president Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa emerging as notable prospective leaders.
Source: BBC Sport
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