The FIFA president faces the biggest crisis since taking the helm of the organization. After a failed attempt to sell commercial rights, he was publicly called out by his own directors, and the first national federation has withdrawn its support.
FIFA president Gianni Infantino finds himself at the center of an unprecedented rebellion within the world football organization. After attempting to sell part of the World Cup's commercial rights to private investors, as many as 143 national federations have turned against him, and two of his closest associates have resigned with sharp public criticism.
Infantino has been at the helm of FIFA since 2016, but this move is seen by many as a breaking point that could end his mandate before the elections scheduled for 2027.
The plan was for FIFA, through a newly established private entity called "FIFA Forward Enterprise," to sell a 21 percent stake to the company Thrive, owned by Joshua Kushner, the younger brother of Jared Kushner, husband of Ivanka Trump, the eldest daughter of U.S. President Donald Trump. With this move, Infantino aimed to privatize part of the non-profit organization and sell something that, as critics point out, is not his to sell.
The news was released on Tuesday through FIFA's official channels, and reactions came at lightning speed.
Just two days after the announcement, all 55 members of UEFA, the umbrella European football organization, announced a boycott of the World Cup. FIFA initially responded with a statement saying that "no one is selling football" and that it continues with business, counting on UEFA's 55 members making up only 26.1 percent of the total 211 members.
However, UEFA was soon joined by North America's CONCACAF with 41 members and Asia's AFC with 47 members. Together, they formed 143 federations, or 67.8 percent of all FIFA members, clearly showing that Infantino has lost the support of the majority.
The heaviest blow came from within the organization itself. The president's senior advisor, Carlos Cordeiro, resigned with a sharp explanation.
"I do not stand behind this decision. Let me be perfectly clear. I had no involvement in this decision and I strongly oppose it. Football has been my life for 35 years, and I understand the consequences that selling football would bring. This is not a responsible way to treat football. FIFA's responsibility should not be to maximize commercial revenue at all costs, but to protect and strengthen football for future generations. When these principles clash, football must always come first," Cordeiro stated.
Even harsher was FIFA's Chief Operating Officer, Kevin Lamour, who told the Associated Press that the project was "the project of one person only."
"Very clearly and simply, this project that has caused so much controversy is not a FIFA project at all. This is not a project of FIFA's administration. This is the project of one person only. Fans, member countries, leagues, and clubs are not the only ones surprised by this news; we within the organization were also shocked and deceived," Lamour said, adding that this is "an indicator of a lack of trust, transparency, quality leadership, and a serious lack of respect."
The Football Association of Wales (FAW) became the first national federation to publicly announce that it is withdrawing its support for Infantino ahead of the 2027 elections.
"Recent failures in good governance, processes, leadership, values, stakeholder relations, communication, and judgment have led us to conclude that Mr. Infantino has lost the confidence of the Football Association of Wales to remain at the helm of world football. The failure to put the interests of football first is something we cannot accept," the FAW statement read.
According to FIFA's rules, there are three ways Infantino could lose his position. The first is convening an extraordinary Congress, which requires 20 percent of members, or 43 national federations, and the Congress would have to be held within three months. The second is initiating proceedings before FIFA's Ethics Committee, and the third, the simplest, is losing in the regular elections in March next year.
After immense pressure, FIFA announced on Friday evening that it is abandoning the project. "After carefully listening to all viewpoints, it has become clear that this project has caused divisions that, regardless of the level of support it enjoys, are no longer in the interest of the goal that was set from the beginning. Our intention has always been, and will always be, to unite and advance football. Therefore, this proposal will not be pursued," the statement said.
