Former official: Infantino's FIFA leadership has become a toxic burden
The former marketing director of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has described the leadership of FIFA President Gianni Infantino as a “toxic burden,” adding that the Swiss-Italian’s decade-long tenure at the helm of world football “has ended.”
In recent hours, Infantino was forced to backtrack on a plan to bring private sector investors into his competitions, including the World Cup, after facing widespread criticism and concerns that football was being turned into a commodity, amid allegations of conflicts of interest.
On Tuesday, FIFA unexpectedly unveiled a plan aimed at raising football development funding to $10 billion over the next four years. However, the proposal drew sharp criticism, both regarding its content and the manner in which it was presented.
Infantino had intended to create a company named “FIFA Forward Enterprise,” open to private investors, which would manage FIFA’s commercial activities and major events, alongside providing exceptional payments of $20 million each to its 211 member associations, each holding one vote in FIFA.
The project sparked widespread fears that it would undermine the nature of football tournaments and reduce the sport to a purely commercial enterprise. Following angry reactions worldwide, Infantino abandoned the plan on Saturday.
Michael Payne, the former IOC marketing director, told AFP: “I don’t think we have ever seen such a rapid fall from grace for a sports leader.” He added, “Just a week ago, Infantino was soaring high after successfully organizing the World Cup, and he expected to run unopposed in next year’s elections to continue his term as FIFA president.”
He continued: “Now, Infantino will struggle to survive until the end of the month. How did he get himself into this mess? It’s excessive arrogance!”
The outlook does not appear positive for the 56-year-old Swiss-Italian. Both UEFA and CONCACAF, which includes the United States, Canada, and Mexico—the three hosts of the 2026 World Cup that concluded on July 19—were among the entities that expressed dissatisfaction with his leadership.
UEFA stated it had lost “trust” in him due to his “shady deal,” while CONCACAF called for a “comprehensive review” of his presidency.
Payne, who contributed over nearly two decades at the IOC to updating the organization’s brand and improving its financial standing, expressed concern about the repercussions of Infantino remaining in office. The 68-year-old Irishman said: “I learned a long time ago never to say that anything is impossible in this world, but Infantino needs more than a miracle to survive.”
