The Guardian: Rising rebellion within the International Federation Council against Infantino

Gianni Infantino is facing a growing rebellion within the FIFA Council, as several members move to convene an extraordinary general assembly that could evolve into a direct challenge to his continued tenure as president. The Guardian reported that efforts to call the meeting had already begun before the crisis over the proposed sale of World Cup shares erupted, with council members demanding an independent review of the unprecedented decision to lift the suspension of player Folarin Balogun during the World Cup—a decision accompanied by multiple phone calls from US President Donald Trump. The FIFA Council is the main decision-making body within the federation, comprising 28 representatives from the six continental confederations, eight vice-presidents, and Infantino himself. FIFA statutes stipulate that approval from 19 of the 37 members is sufficient to call an extraordinary general assembly.

According to the information, the number of Infantino’s opponents had already exceeded 10 members before the revelation of his secret plan to sell a 20% stake in a new World Cup operating company to Thrive Capital, owned by Joshua Kushner, brother of Jared Kushner, son-in-law of US President Donald Trump. The newspaper suggests that opponents have become bolder following Infantino’s retreat from the World Cup share sale project, after facing pressure from UEFA, CONCACAF, and the Asian Football Confederation, prompting FIFA to announce the withdrawal of the project two days ago.

Among the 37 FIFA Council members, Europe and North America are represented by 14 members, meaning any serious move against Infantino would require additional support from the Asian continent. The FIFA Council is not expected to hold its next regular meeting before November, but opponents are seeking to act quickly to force the convening of the extraordinary assembly, at which Infantino would be asked to explain what happened. If he refuses to commission an independent body to review the Balogun case, it is expected that efforts to remove him from office will intensify, alongside informal consultations to identify potential successors. The newspaper notes that the stance of the Qatari Football Association, which supports Infantino, has effectively closed the door on any possibility of Paris Saint-Germain president Nasser Al-Khelaifi running for the FIFA presidency. The future of any electoral campaign also hinges on whether Canadian CONCACAF president Victor Montagliani is willing to challenge Infantino. Meanwhile, AFC President Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa, who lost to Infantino in the 2016 election, would face a more difficult task if he does not secure full support from his continent’s confederations.

Meanwhile, Claudio Schefter, president of the European Leagues, said that Infantino’s continued tenure as FIFA president appears unlikely following the failure of his plan to sell shares in World Cup commercial rights. He added that there is “only one outcome” for Infantino after his plan triggered a wave of protests from continental confederations. When asked if this means Infantino is now unacceptable as FIFA president, Schefter replied: “That is usually the result when someone in a company pushes a commercial deal forward without anyone knowing.” Despite the current crisis, Infantino has so far secured more than 200 letters of support for his re-election bid, but these letters can be withdrawn, while the nomination window remains open to competitors until November 18. The newspaper points out that another path to removing Infantino could involve convening an extraordinary FIFA Congress to vote on a motion of no confidence, a measure that can be triggered if 43 national associations formally request such a congress.