Fifa president Gianni Infantino is currently fighting to maintain his position after a controversial proposal to sell off portions of the World Cup to external investors triggered a significant internal and external backlash. Less than a fortnight after boasting about the tournament generating record revenues of $15 billion on social media, Infantino faced an intense reaction that has left his presidency in jeopardy. With an ally elected, the US, Mexico and Canada won the right to host the 2026 World Cup. “You wanted to have it there and I wanted to have it there, and we really did it before we came to office,” Donald Trump told Infantino at a dinner in Davos in 2020.
This current turmoil is widely viewed as a reflection of deep-seated issues within the institution, dating back to the 2010 decision to award the 2022 World Cup to Qatar. That era was defined by high-profile corruption scandals, including an FBI inquiry and the cooperation of former Concacaf general secretary Chuck Blazer, whose testimony led to the 2015 arrests at Zurich’s Baur au Lac hotel and the subsequent resignation of Sepp Blatter.
Following Blatter’s departure, the path to the presidency was marked by political maneuvering. Uefa president Michel Platini, initially the favorite to succeed Blatter, was sidelined after a payment from Fifa in 2011 led to his suspension. Infantino, then the secretary general of Uefa, emerged as the candidate to replace him. He was elected in February 2016, defeating Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa, after securing a critical shift in support from the Caribbean bloc. By 2017 and 2018, his consolidation of power had become increasingly evident, with 53 members of the council often sidelined.
Infantino’s tenure has been characterized by accusations of autocratic leadership. He has been criticized for removing leaders of the ethics commission and firing Miguel Maduro, the chair of the governance and review committee, for blocking the re-election of Russian official Vitaly Mutko. Critics argue that Infantino has consistently bypassed the Fifa council and avoided public scrutiny.
The recent proposal to sell off parts of the World Cup was met with unexpected, robust opposition from Uefa, which threatened to boycott Fifa tournaments. While the plan is currently considered dead, the fallout has caused significant damage to Infantino’s standing. During an emergency meeting in Rabat, several senior staff were present, though chief operating officer Kevin Lamour, who voted against the plan, was notably absent. Meanwhile, plans to expand the World Cup to 64 teams have been accelerated.
While some nations, including the Confederation of African Football—perhaps impressed by the promise of the 2030 World Cup final being in Casablanca—and others like Mexico, Argentina, Qatar, and the UAE, have pledged support, many letters of support are being withdrawn. Perhaps Infantino can muster a majority among Fifa’s 211 members. Uefa has vowed to continue its opposition until Infantino is removed, with the Under-20 Women’s World Cup in Poland, scheduled for 5 September, potentially becoming the first event to face a boycott. As the political maneuvering continues, critics argue that the institution remains fundamentally flawed, with clientelism persisting since 1974.
