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Fri, Sep

On Tuesday morning, Gianni Infantino appeared untouchable as FIFA president, occupying the most powerful position in world football.

Just days later, however, his authority has come under unprecedented pressure after it emerged that he had attempted to sell stakes in FIFA competitions to private investment firms—reportedly without the knowledge or approval of other senior officials.

UEFA, Infantino's most vocal critic, responded forcefully by threatening to boycott all FIFA competitions, including the World Cup. Sensing a rare opportunity to challenge his leadership, European football's governing body now appears determined to push for his removal. It may represent the strongest chance it has ever had to weaken his grip on power.


Yet UEFA is far from alone in its opposition.

Concacaf, a confederation that had worked closely with Infantino in planning the 2026 World Cup, called for a full review of FIFA's leadership following the proposed investment deal. Even more damaging was the reaction from the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), where several member associations that had traditionally supported Infantino also distanced themselves from him.

His difficulties deepened further when two of his closest allies—senior adviser Carlos Cordeiro and chief operating officer Kevin Lamour—left their positions, raising fresh questions about confidence in his leadership.

Although Infantino reversed course in the early hours of Saturday by abandoning the proposal, the move failed to repair the damage. UEFA responded with another strongly worded statement, declaring that it had lost confidence in his leadership.

The battle lines have now been drawn. The question is no longer just about the failed investment proposal, but whether Infantino can retain the support of enough FIFA members to remain in office—or whether this controversy will become the beginning of the end of his presidency.

Gianni Infantino is facing mounting pressure over his leadership of FIFA following strong criticism from two of football's most influential confederations, UEFA and Concacaf.

According to Huhuonline.com, growing dissatisfaction with FIFA's leadership has intensified after the world football governing body reportedly decided not to proceed with a proposal to sell stakes in its competitions to private investors.

On Saturday, both UEFA and Concacaf issued statements criticizing FIFA's leadership following the decision to withdraw the investment proposal.

UEFA welcomed the withdrawal of the plan, describing it as a "victory for the whole game." The European governing body accused the current FIFA leadership of failing to uphold the promises of transparency and accountability that Infantino made during his successful campaign for the FIFA presidency in 2016.

"The current FIFA leadership has not only lost UEFA's confidence but also that of many other members of the football family," UEFA said in a strongly worded statement. The organization further criticized what it described as a lack of transparency in the handling of the proposed investment deal.

Concacaf, which governs football in North America, Central America and the Caribbean, echoed UEFA's concerns. While it did not mention Infantino by name, the confederation said the abandoned proposal reflected "a symptom of leadership that has stopped putting football first."

The regional body added that the episode represented "a unilateral and egregious act of poor governance and leadership" and called for a comprehensive review of FIFA's leadership.

In a separate statement, Concacaf stressed that "accountability cannot be optional," arguing that football stakeholders deserve answers about how such a proposal was allowed to advance and who should be held responsible.

The backlash has increased scrutiny of Infantino's leadership as he prepares for the next FIFA presidential election. Although there have been growing calls from some quarters for greater accountability within FIFA, there has been no official announcement that Infantino intends to resign.

FIFA has yet to issue a detailed response to the criticisms from UEFA and Concacaf.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino is facing increasing pressure after the organization's chief operating officer publicly criticized his proposal to sell stakes in FIFA competitions to private investors.

In a statement released made available to huhuonline.com on Friday, Kevin Lamour described the proposal as "the project of one person" and urged football leaders to "ask themselves the right questions and make the right decisions." He also claimed FIFA's administration had been "deceived" about the initiative.

Although Lamour did not mention Infantino by name, his remarks came amid growing opposition to the plans. On the same day, a third football confederation voiced its concerns, a senior adviser to Infantino resigned, and Andy Burnham said the Swiss official was "the wrong man" to lead FIFA.

Meanwhile, U.S. President Donald Trump said he had not discussed the proposal with Infantino, despite reports that the two have developed a close relationship since Trump's second term began in 2025.

Lamour said FIFA's employees are committed to serving football and argued that the organization's leadership should unite and inspire rather than divide.

"Our mission—the mission of the hundreds of passionate, dedicated, and exemplary FIFA employees—is to serve football," he said. "A president must bring people together, unite them, and inspire them. Today, we are experiencing the opposite."

Acknowledging his responsibility to both FIFA and its values, Lamour said he was prepared to accept any consequences for speaking out.

"If that means I lose my job, then so be it," he said. "I will understand and respect that decision. At least I'll sleep well tonight."

FIFA has insisted that "nobody is selling football" as it pledged to continue consulting members over its controversial proposal to allow private investors to buy stakes in its competitions.

The plan has faced strong opposition from football's regional governing bodies. UEFA, which oversees European football, voted on Thursday to boycott future World Cups if the proposal moves forward. Concacaf, the governing body for North and Central America and the Caribbean, also announced that its 41 member associations had rejected the plan put forward by FIFA president Gianni Infantino.

FIFA has 211 member associations, and the proposal would require the support of at least 106 to pass. Together, UEFA and Concacaf represent 96 votes, making their opposition a significant obstacle.

In a statement released on Friday, FIFA said the consultation process had been affected by "incorrect media reports" but stressed that it remained committed to an open and democratic discussion.

"We respect the feedback and concerns expressed publicly and remain committed to an open and democratic consultation," the statement said. "We will continue this process to ensure every member association can cast its vote based on the facts.

"Nobody is selling football. This is not something FIFA would ever entertain."

FIFA has abandoned its controversial proposal to sell stakes in its major competitions after widespread opposition from its member associations.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino announced that the plan would no longer go ahead, saying it had become clear the proposal had "created divisions" and was "no longer in the interest" of its original objective.

The FIFA president had proposed selling a 20% stake in a newly created commercial entity overseeing the World Cup, with the goal of raising $4.2 billion (€3.6 billion). The leading candidate to acquire the stake was Thrive Eternal, the investment fund founded by Joshua Kushner, brother of Jared Kushner, the son-in-law of U.S. President Donald Trump.

The decision to scrap the proposal follows strong resistance from member associations, bringing an end to one of the most controversial governance initiatives in FIFA's recent history.

A senior adviser to FIFA president Gianni Infantino has resigned after a third football confederation publicly opposed plans to sell stakes in FIFA competitions to private investors.

Carlos Cordeiro described the proposal as "a bad deal for football" that would "mortgage football's future." His resignation came just hours after the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) announced it was joining UEFA and Concacaf in opposing the plan.

In a statement, the AFC said it "stands in solidarity" with the other confederations, arguing that the proposal could not achieve the broad consensus needed to move forward. It warned that the FIFA World Cup draws its strength from the participation of all confederations and leading football nations, and that any proposal threatening the competition's unity should be reconsidered.

The AFC also criticized FIFA for advancing a major initiative without first consulting member associations or key governing bodies. It said the process had exposed weaknesses in FIFA's governance, leaving confederations, national associations and even the FIFA Council feeling sidelined. The confederation called for an urgent review of FIFA's consultation and decision-making procedures to ensure future proposals of global importance are developed through meaningful engagement and proper oversight.

The growing opposition presents a major obstacle for Infantino's plans. FIFA has 211 member associations, and the proposal would require a simple majority of 106 votes to pass. UEFA represents 55 members, Concacaf has 35, and the AFC has 46. If all three confederations vote against the proposal, 136 member associations would oppose it, making approval highly unlikely.

Cordeiro, who served as FIFA's senior adviser on global strategy and governance for nearly five years, is the first senior official to resign over the proposal. A former Goldman Sachs investment banker, he also represented FIFA on the White House task force for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

In a lengthy statement, Cordeiro said he "unequivocally" opposed the plan and rejected the argument that FIFA needed outside investors to unlock greater value. He argued that FIFA's responsibility is not to maximize commercial returns but to protect and strengthen football for future generations.

"The proposal has become a defining question for FIFA's future," he said. "When those principles come into conflict, football must come first."

Cordeiro stressed that he had no involvement in developing the proposal and criticized the lack of transparency surrounding it.

"Most troubling of all is the absence of answers to fundamental questions," he said. "Why this deal? Why now? What oversight exists? Who benefits?"

He added that member associations were being asked to make a decision with far-reaching consequences in less than 50 days, despite many key questions remaining unanswered.

"That is not a responsible way to determine the future of the world's game," he said.

UEFA's 55 member associations have voted to boycott FIFA competitions if plans to sell stakes in the governing body's tournaments to private investors are approved.

The decision was reached during an emergency meeting called after FIFA announced proposals earlier this week to allow outside investors to buy minority stakes in competitions such as the World Cup.

UEFA has strongly opposed the idea, describing the World Cup as "one of football's greatest sporting legacies" and insisting it should never be treated as a commercial investment.

"The World Cup cannot be treated as an investment product," UEFA said in a statement. "It has been built over generations by players, national teams and supporters across every continent. No part of it should ever be surrendered to private investors. The World Cup is not for sale."

If FIFA president Gianni Infantino's proposals are approved by member associations, UEFA says its boycott would extend to all FIFA competitions, including the men's and women's World Cups and the Club World Cup.

The first major test of UEFA's position could come in October, when the Women's World Cup play-offs are scheduled.

Sources described the atmosphere at UEFA's emergency meeting as highly charged, with delegates expressing overwhelming opposition to the proposals. England FA chair Debbie Hewitt and chief executive Mark Bullingham were among those who spoke during the discussions. Despite serving as one of FIFA's vice-presidents, Hewitt is understood to have had no prior knowledge of Infantino's plans.

Opposition is also growing outside Europe. Concacaf, which represents 41 national associations across North and Central America and the Caribbean, announced that it had also rejected the proposal. Sources suggest confidence in Infantino's leadership is weakening among Concacaf members.

The standoff marks one of the most significant governance disputes in world football in recent years, with the future ownership and control of FIFA's flagship competitions now at the centre of a growing conflict.

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