Infantino Faces FIFA Council Critics as Presidential Deadline Nears

Gianni Infantino chaired FIFA’s annual council meeting at the organisation’s headquarters in Switzerland on Thursday as critics sought to challenge his presidency ahead of the deadline for candidates to enter the election race.

The meeting was the first occasion on which Infantino faced FIFA’s 37 council members since he abandoned a private investment plan linked to the sale of World Cup rights. His strongest critics were described as coming mainly from UEFA and North America.

Questions over the abandoned plan

Infantino apologised to his toughest opponents over the failed World Cup proposal, although he did not provide further details. When European football officials pressed him for written evidence about the private equity plan, he asked them to submit their questions in writing.

The proposal emerged nine days after the World Cup final played near New York on 19 July. Its abandonment has added to wider criticism of Infantino’s leadership as he seeks to remain in office through 2031.

Graham Dunbar of the Associated Press described the meeting as “an attempt to protect his presidency,” saying Infantino’s position was facing its biggest crisis and that he wanted four more years to lead FIFA through 2031.

Criticism of leadership and political ties

Infantino’s critics have also raised concerns about his close political relationships, including his ties to United States President Donald Trump. They argue that such relationships are damaging to FIFA and that the organisation has increasingly come to be associated with one individual who shows too little regard for established processes, norms and rules.

Bernd Neuendorf, a German football leader, said FIFA needed a different kind of leadership. “We need a person of integrity, someone who can be expected to restore the reputation of the association, which has undoubtedly been lost,” Neuendorf said.

The council also discussed Infantino’s failure to explain an intervention by Trump that resulted in a red card issued to a top American player being withdrawn during the tournament. The player was not identified in the report.

Another subject was the creation of a peace prize by Infantino and its presentation to Trump at the World Cup draw in December. The meeting examined how and why the prize had been established.

Election timetable and funding proposal

FIFA’s 211 member federations will choose the organisation’s next president in an election scheduled for March 2027 in Rabat, Morocco. Federations had five weeks remaining to find a candidate with broad appeal, while the deadline for entering the presidential race was set for 18 November.

Infantino had been moving towards a fourth and final term before the private investor plan was disclosed. His critics are now seeking to use the controversy to question both his leadership style and his continued control of FIFA.

The council meeting also included a proposal to give $15 million to each of FIFA’s 211 national member federations. The distribution was presented as a proposal, and no approval was reported.

The debate comes after the World Cup co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico generated record profitability for FIFA. The organisation’s reserves were reported to be close to $6 billion.