Infantino faces confederation revolt after abandoned World Cup commercial plan
FIFA president Gianni Infantino is facing an escalating revolt within world football after he withdrew his proposal to sell a stake in the World Cup late on Friday, with the fallout deepening into Tuesday as regional confederations publicly split over his future at the organisation.
The plan, described in reports as an attempt to raise $4.2 billion through a new commercial rights vehicle, was permanently abandoned and followed by an apology from Infantino for the division it caused. FIFA secretary general Mattias Grafstrom sent staff an internal note lamenting the “sad and reproachable series of events” that led to the project’s end and urged professionalism; Arsene Wenger said he was not involved in the proposal and that “the decision to withdraw the project was absolutely necessary and beyond question, because I firmly believe in an independent FIFA that serves our game with commitment, transparency, and integrity.”
UEFA has emerged as the most forceful opponent of Infantino since the proposal collapsed, threatening a boycott of FIFA competitions unless the Fifa Forward Enterprise scheme was scrapped and issuing a statement saying the current FIFA leadership had “not only lost Uefa’s confidence, but also that of many other members of the football family”. Several European associations, including the English and Welsh FAs, have rescinded letters of support for Infantino, and UEFA has moved to preserve documents related to the proposal as it weighs further action.
The Asian Football Confederation is internally divided. The AFC publicly criticised the World Cup deal and called for institutional reform, and senior figures in the region were reported as angry at how the proposal was presented; at the same time many individual Asian federations remain wary of replacing Infantino, while west Asian members such as Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia have backed him. The AFC president, Sheikh Salman, is described as a powerful figure whose ambitions complicate unity, and Jordan’s Prince Ali bin Hussein’s allegation of “blackmail” has been noted as a potentially significant intervention.
Concacaf issued one of the strongest collective rebukes, publishing a statement on behalf of its 41 members that labelled the plan “a symptom of leadership that has stopped putting football first”, called it “a unilateral and egregious act of poor governance and leadership”, and said “a comprehensive reckoning with this presidency is imperative”. Concacaf president Victor Montagliani, who serves as a FIFA vice‑president, was identified in reporting as a possible candidate to stand for the presidency if confederations coalesce against Infantino.
Africa’s confederation has so far given Infantino formal backing: CAF president Patrice Motsepe said the 54 member associations are unanimous in support of Infantino’s re‑election. The wider history of relations between Infantino and African football is recorded in reporting: he supported Ahmad Ahmad’s rise in 2016, FIFA took over CAF’s daily administration from August to December 2019 with then‑secretary general Fatma Samoura leading that intervention, and Infantino was involved in Motsepe’s elevation in March 2021. CAF generates some revenue from its own commercial activities, but the reporting also notes that most of its member associations rely on annual FIFA grants to meet operating costs.
South America and Oceania have been more cautious. Conmebol’s official response to the controversy was limited to a request for clarification and, according to a regional adviser, Conmebol’s stance is best described as “cautious support rather than open confrontation,” with the confederation seeking to preserve its institutional relationship with FIFA while assessing the broader balance of power. Oceania’s reaction has been mixed: New Zealand publicly opposed the proposal, the OFC itself remained noncommittal, and some smaller Oceania federations still back Infantino; reporting also records that FIFA’s decisions under Infantino — including World Cup expansion and support for regional initiatives such as the Oceania Professional League and co‑hosting of the Women’s World Cup by New Zealand and Australia — have been factors in those ties.
Infantino’s immediate procedural risk is clear: an Extraordinary FIFA Congress can be convened if 43 or more member associations submit a formal written request, and reporting says he has roughly seven months to repair relationships before key election timelines, with nominations for the FIFA presidency closing on November 18. Public positions remain split across the 211 voting federations, with some countries including Morocco, Qatar, Kuwait, Lebanon and Sri Lanka declaring support for Infantino even as a string of European associations have withdrawn backing.