Infantino rejects calls to quit, says member associations back him as he seeks fourth FIFA term
FIFA president Gianni Infantino on October 24, 2026 rejected calls to resign in an interview with the BBC, saying he has the support of member associations as he prepares to seek a fourth term in office. He dismissed calls for his resignation after the collapse of the FIFA Forward Enterprise proposal and pointed to endorsements from regional bodies.
Three months ago Infantino faced pressure to step down after abandoning the FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) plan, which proposed private investment into a new entity to manage commercial rights linked to major FIFA competitions. That proposal’s failure revealed divisions inside FIFA and prompted criticism from several federations. Since then his standing has recovered in some quarters as key regional organisations moved to back his re-election bid. On Friday Asian Football Confederation president Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa publicly endorsed him, saying Asia stood united behind him.
Asked by the BBC whether he had considered resigning, Infantino laughed off the suggestion and pointed to his election mandate. "I was elected by 211 member associations from all over the world. I think what is important is that in an organisation like FIFA, there can be different views, different points of view," he said. "But if we are serious about democracy, about the democratic process, about believing that everyone has the same vote and the same voice all over the world, about football belonging to everyone, then we need to respect as well the views of the vast, vast majority."
Infantino said recent trips had reinforced the level of support he is receiving and listed endorsements from Asia and Africa during his remarks. "I'm just coming back off Tokyo where the Asian Football Confederation has fully endorsed me. I was in Cape Verde where all African countries have endorsed me. I'm speaking to all associations everywhere in the world," he added. The AFC’s endorsement is notable because the confederation had earlier joined UEFA and CONCACAF in criticising the FFE proposal.
Observers inside FIFA say the collapse of the FFE exposed internal fault lines and has left European football increasingly isolated in its criticism of Infantino. The report noted CONCACAF remains divided over the issue and that no clear alternative candidate to Infantino had emerged following the controversy.
Infantino apologised at a FIFA Council meeting in Zurich last week for the way the FFE proposal was handled, but that apology did not alter the stances of several European associations, including Germany and England. He acknowledged disagreement was inevitable within the organisation, adding: "It's OK to disagree ... but then we need to be able to move on," he said. "There are different points of view. It's not always easy to bring them all under one roof, but we need to respect and I do respect all opinions, all views."
Infantino said the final choice on FIFA leadership rests with the membership. "Then it will be up to the FIFA member associations to decide who they want as a president and how they want FIFA to be run," Infantino said.
Infantino is campaigning for a fourth term that would keep him in office until 2031, and candidates have until November 18 to submit their nominations.
