Mexico, Argentina, and the African Union back Infantino amid ongoing FIFA conflict
The football federations of Mexico and Argentina have expressed their support for FIFA President Gianni Infantino, as he faces intense backlash over a now-abandoned proposal to sell some commercial rights for the World Cup. The executive committee of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) also unanimously reaffirmed its support for Infantino following the controversy surrounding his proposal to open the door for private sector investors.
The Mexican federation, one of the organizers of the 2026 World Cup, diverged from its regional confederation’s stance by backing Infantino, after the Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF) called for a “comprehensive review” of his leadership.
Yesterday, Thursday, the African Confederation (CAF) unanimously endorsed Infantino’s leadership, but the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) stated it remains committed to boycotting the World Cup and other FIFA tournaments. The Asian Football Confederation said it “stands in solidarity” with UEFA and CONCACAF.
However, the South American Football Confederation (CONMEBOL) issued a statement yesterday rejecting any attempt to remove Infantino that does not include a vote by all 211 member associations. The Mexican federation aligned with these positions. In a statement, it said: “The Mexican Football Federation will not recognize or approve any process that takes place outside this institutional framework, and joins the call launched by President Infantino to continue developing football collectively for the benefit of all 211 member associations.” It added: “The Mexican Federation supports President Infantino’s leadership in continuing to enhance the development of football by strengthening institutions.”
The fallout from the proposal has cast a shadow over Infantino’s efforts to secure re-election for a fourth term at the FIFA Congress to be held in Morocco next March, which appeared to be a foregone conclusion two months ago. However, no clear challenger has yet emerged to compete against Infantino in the March elections, and the Swiss official continues to enjoy strong support, including backing received yesterday from Argentina, the 2022 World Cup champions.
In a message addressed to Infantino, the Argentine federation expressed its support for FIFA’s work over the past decade, stating that this work “has focused on developing football worldwide and strengthening institutional capacity based on a clear, stable, and transparent governance model.” Although the Argentine federation acknowledged that the proposal had raised far more doubts than certainties and that mistakes had been made, it said the way forward is to continue working under FIFA’s leadership ahead of next year’s Congress.
