FIFA says efforts to undermine Gianni Infantino must follow statutes as leadership dispute intensifies

FIFA, in a statement on Saturday (August 8, 2026), warned of a "concerted and ongoing effort" to undermine President Gianni Infantino and said any challenge to his leadership must comply with the governing body's statutes and democratic procedures.

The warning came amid a bitter standoff after the collapse of Infantino's proposal to raise about $4.2 billion by selling a stake in the commercial rights of the World Cup and other tournaments, a plan that drew criticism from UEFA, national associations and senior FIFA officials and led to calls for his resignation and a crisis meeting in Morocco.

FIFA did not name those it accused of seeking to undermine the president or specify the reports or allegations it was addressing. The statement followed reporting by The Daily Telegraph about payments made by UEFA to a former employee during Mr. Infantino's time as UEFA general secretary, allegations he has denied and that FIFA has rejected as unfounded.

FIFA said: "Those who do not have the support of FIFA's Member Associations should not seek to achieve through allegation, insinuation or misinformation what they cannot achieve through FIFA's established democratic processes." The governing body added recent reporting had included "unsubstantiated assertions and demonstrably false claims" concerning FIFA and its president and that it would challenge inaccurate or misleading reports "directly and vigorously".

The organisation also said it "would not support, facilitate or tolerate any process concerning the election of its president that was inconsistent with its statutes, democratic procedures and governance framework" and stated: "The FIFA president was democratically elected by FIFA's member associations and continues to serve with their mandate."

Following a crisis meeting in Morocco on Wednesday (August 5, 2026), FIFA apologised to its 211 member associations for mistakes in the handling of the proposal and said its leadership had reaffirmed its full support for Mr. Infantino.

The dispute has prompted mixed reactions: UEFA has said it no longer has confidence in Mr. Infantino, Norwegian Football Federation President Lise Klaveness called for him to resign on Friday (August 7, 2026) saying he no longer had the institutional trust required to govern FIFA, while the Confederation of African Football (CAF) unanimously backed his leadership on Thursday (August 6, 2026) and CONMEBOL rejected any attempt to oust him that did not involve a vote of all FIFA members. Mexico's football federation (FMF) also backed Mr. Infantino despite CONCACAF calling for a "comprehensive reckoning" with his presidency, with the FMF saying: "The FMF will neither recognise nor approve any process convened outside of that institutional framework."

The fallout has cast a shadow over Mr. Infantino's bid for a fourth term at the FIFA Congress in Morocco in March, and no clear candidate to challenge him has yet emerged.