Infantino's Plan Shakes: Concacaf Countries Consider Withdrawal
Pressure mounts on FIFA president as key confederation reconsiders its loyalty, with analyses revealing a vote-buying strategy through World Cup expansion.
Pressure mounts on FIFA president as key confederation reconsiders its loyalty, with analyses revealing a vote-buying strategy through World Cup expansion.
The position of FIFA president Gianni Infantino is becoming increasingly precarious. While his decade-long plan to take full control of world football is being discussed more loudly in public, news from Concacaf, the confederation that brings together North America, Central America, and the Caribbean, could seriously undermine his power. According to The Guardian, several member countries in this region are seriously considering withdrawing their support for Infantino.
The situation is particularly delicate because all 41 Concacaf members, as unofficially reported, submitted letters of support for Infantino's re-election campaign before the World Cup. Now, under increasing pressure, many of them are reconsidering that decision, following the example of Europe, which openly opposes his controversial plans.
As Kurir reveals in its extensive analysis, Infantino has been implementing a carefully crafted strategy since taking the helm of FIFA in 2016. The first major step was expanding the World Cup from 32 to 48 teams. Although the official explanation was to give more countries an opportunity, in practice it meant buying votes.
The continents with the most votes in FIFA benefited the most from the expansion: Africa, Asia, North and Central America, and Oceania. In this way, Infantino secured the support of national associations, where each country, regardless of footballing strength, has one vote. His goal was clear: to secure the support of 106 associations, the necessary majority to confirm any decision. Given that Africa has as many as 54 votes, it's clear why that continent was crucial in his calculations.
But he didn't stop there. For the 2030 World Cup, the idea of expanding to as many as 64 teams emerged, which met with fierce resistance from UEFA and much of Europe's football elite. They believe this would further erode the quality of the competition and overburden an already congested calendar.
The motive behind Infantino's insistence on expansion, as reported by Kurir, is crystal clear: money. His current annual salary of $6 million would become almost symbolic compared to what he could earn. If the World Cup were to get a commercial owner, Infantino could see over $30 million a year flowing into his account.
Infantino was guided by the logic that a bigger product brings greater market value, and stronger support from associations in Africa, Asia, and South America allows for the implementation of even the most controversial decisions.
However, as Kurir writes, Infantino miscalculated in one key aspect: Europe. The continent that has the most say in world football and without which it's impossible to make such major decisions. Aware that he can't expect support from the Old Continent, Infantino gave Europe only crumbs when expanding the World Cup.
Reality, however, is relentless. As many as six of the eight quarterfinalists at the last World Cup were from Europe. According to Kurir's analysis, this reflects the real balance of quality: 75 percent of football belongs to Europe, while the remaining 25 percent is shared by South America, Central America, Africa, and Asia. The "little problem" for Infantino is precisely this fact, and now the increasingly likely scenario that Concacaf members will also withdraw their support further complicates his position.
