Gianni Infantino, the president of world football’s governing body FIFA, is facing controversy after North and Central American football ruling federation CONCACAF called for a “comprehensive reckoning” of his presidency in a statement on Sunday.
Infantino landed in hot water following the announcement of a plan to create a commercial subsidiary to manage its flagship tournaments, opening the door for private investors to acquire minority stakes.
The proposal was met with nearly universal rejection, with European football ruling body UEFA voting to reject the plan and agreeing to boycott the World Cup if it’s approved. The decision was later supported by CONCACAF and the AFC, Asian football’s ruling federation.
The controversial plan was quickly scrapped, but it might’ve done irreversible damage to Infantino’s reputation.
On Sunday, the CONCACAF released a statement saying “unity had prevailed,” but also questioning the decision-making behind the proposal, calling it “a symptom of leadership that has stopped putting football first.”
“This recent unilateral and egregious act of poor governance and leadership follows a pattern of missteps and similar behavior. A comprehensive reckoning with this presidency is imperative,” said CONCACAF in its statement.
UEFA had previously admitted in a statement to having “lost the confidence” in Infantino over the plan. President Aleksander Čeferin said that “no option should be off the table,” regarding the future of FIFA leadership.
The development couldn’t have come at a worse time for Infantino, who’s set to run for his fourth term as FIFA president in March 2027.
On Monday, the Football Association of Wales (FAW) confirmed “its withdrawal of support” for Infantino’s candidature. Shortly after, the English Football Association, the oldest football association in the world, did the same hours later.
FIFA’s charters have mechanisms for the potential ousting of its current president, as happened with Infantino’s predecessor, Joseph Blatter, in December 2015. However, it would require 43 member nations to trigger a vote of no confidence against Infantino.
The deadline for candidates to come forward for the March 2027 vote comes on November 18. So far, Infantino has run unopposed in his two re-elections, having defeated Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa at the 2016 FIFA Extraordinary Congress, where he was first appointed.
Sporting outlets have suggested Čeferin himself, Paris Saint-Germain and European Football Clubs Association chairman Nasser Al-Khelaifi and CONCACAF president Victor Montagliani — currently a FIFA vice president — as potential candidates, although none have confirmed their interest so far.
