Infantino’s throne shakes after losing allies’ trust... dismissal looms
FIFA President Gianni Infantino is facing a genuine survival crisis and his most dangerous confrontation regarding his future since assuming office, due to mounting opposition against him. This comes after FIFA was forced to withdraw a project involving private sector investors in its tournaments and commercial activities, under pressure from continental confederations that threatened to escalate tensions, just months before the presidential elections scheduled for March next year.
Wales officially announced the withdrawal of its support for Infantino, becoming the first nation to do so. The Welsh Football Association stated in a press release: “We are withdrawing our support for Infantino’s candidacy for re-election as FIFA President for the 2027–2031 term, scheduled to take place in Rabat, Morocco, in March 2027. Recent failures in areas such as good governance, procedures, leadership, values, stakeholder management, communication, and sound judgment have brought us to a position where Infantino has lost the confidence of the Welsh FA to continue leading world football.”
The withdrawal of support continues. The English Football League is also expected to send a formal letter to Infantino withdrawing its support for his re-election. The British newspaper *The Telegraph* reported that the English FA would follow the Welsh FA’s lead. Meanwhile, the UK news agency PA Media noted that FA President Victor Montagliani, the current FIFA Vice President, is prepared to run in the presidential elections.
In the Netherlands, the local football federation announced it no longer trusts Infantino’s leadership, emphasizing that the withdrawal of the privatization project does not mean the issue is resolved, and that the manner in which the matter was handled led to a collapse of trust in the FIFA President. For his part, German FA President Bernd Neuendorf called for a full investigation into the project, stating that Infantino acted unilaterally, without transparency, and irresponsibly toward the interests of football. German FA Managing Director Andreas Rettig also confirmed that the relationship between the German FA and FIFA had reached an impasse, saying, “I see what happened as an irreparable loss of trust,” adding, “due to decision-making behind closed doors and dishonest methods of manipulating people.”
UEFA threatens legal action
UEFA has threatened FIFA with legal action regarding Infantino’s plan to privatize the marketing rights of the World Cup, warning against the destruction of any potential evidence. UEFA lawyers informed FIFA that the European confederation is seriously considering taking legal action, going to court, filing administrative complaints, or pursuing all of these measures regarding Infantino’s proposal and investment plan.
The Associated Press reported that it obtained a letter received from a New York law firm last Friday. The letter demanded that 18 FIFA executives preserve data, documents, and emails as potential evidence. It stated: “UEFA formally notifies you that any destruction, deletion, alteration, concealment, or loss of the requested materials after receipt of this notice, or after any prior date when you were, or should have been, aware of the anticipated legal action, will constitute spoliation of evidence.”
To that end, the New York Post revealed that Infantino is seeking the support of U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration to remain in his post, and has arranged a special meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, amid growing calls for his resignation. Two sources familiar with the matter told the newspaper that Infantino will soon speak with the top U.S. diplomat. One source added that Infantino feels “isolated” in the face of a wave of negative media coverage, noting that he is seeking prominent allies who will publicly declare their support for him. The New York Post also reported that Infantino has repeatedly, but unsuccessfully, tried to reach President Trump by phone since the collapse of his plan to sell football’s commercial assets to private investors.
