Is Gianni Infantino About to Lose Control of FIFA?
Just weeks after the glow of a record-breaking World Cup in North America, FIFA president Gianni Infantino finds himself fighting the most serious challenge of his decade in power. The Swiss-Italian administrator, once viewed as almost untouchable, is now navigating a deep crisis of confidence triggered by a controversial commercial plan that collapsed under intense global pressure. While he remains in office and insists he will seek a fourth term, the question of whether he can hold onto FIFA’s top job until 2031 has become one of the most pressing issues in world football.
The controversy erupted in late July 2026. Reports revealed that Infantino had advanced a proposal to create FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE), a new commercial entity that would manage rights to the organisation’s flagship tournaments, including the men’s and women’s World Cups. Under the plan, a minority stake of around 20 percent would be sold to private investors, raising an estimated $4.2 billion. The proposal was linked in media reports to a fund associated with Joshua Kushner, brother of Jared Kushner and a figure connected to the orbit of U.S. President Donald Trump, with whom Infantino has maintained a notably close relationship.
What angered many was not only the commercialisation of the World Cup’s commercial rights but the manner in which the plan was advanced. Critics said consultation with FIFA’s 211 member associations and its own senior executives had been minimal. Associations were reportedly offered substantial development grants—figures cited in the region of $20 million to $40 million per federation—if they backed the scheme. UEFA, European football’s governing body, described the process as a “shabby, back-room, opaque deal” and declared it had lost confidence in Infantino’s leadership. CONCACAF and the Asian Football Confederation added their opposition. Several national associations, including England, Wales, Serbia, Sweden and others, formally withdrew earlier letters of support for Infantino’s re-election.
The backlash forced a rapid retreat. On 1 August Infantino withdrew the FFE proposal, stating that FIFA had “listened carefully to all the views.” Yet the damage was already done. Senior figures inside FIFA distanced themselves. One adviser, Carlos Cordeiro, resigned. FIFA’s chief operating officer publicly criticised the lack of transparency. Former players such as Luís Figo called for Infantino to step down, describing his conduct in unusually harsh terms. Political figures, including Canada’s prime minister, also voiced a loss of confidence.
Infantino responded by convening a crisis meeting of senior FIFA management in Rabat, Morocco, in early August. After the talks, FIFA issued a statement in which the secretary general and management board reaffirmed their “full support” for the president. Infantino and the secretary general sent a letter to member associations apologising for “errors” in the handling of the proposal and committing that such mistakes would not be repeated. FIFA also warned against what it called a “concerted and ongoing effort” to undermine the president outside the organisation’s democratic processes.
Support for Infantino remains uneven but far from collapsed. The Confederation of African Football has publicly backed him. South America’s CONMEBOL has rejected any attempt to remove him without a proper vote of the full membership. Several associations in Asia and the Middle East have also expressed continued support. On 14 August the Oceania Football Confederation welcomed FIFA’s decision to abandon the FFE plan and acknowledged progress in football development under Infantino’s leadership over the past decade, though it stopped short of an explicit endorsement. New Zealand, however, broke ranks with its confederation and formally withdrew support for Infantino’s re-election bid, calling for an independent review of the entire episode.
The electoral calendar now looms large. Infantino announced in April 2026 that he would seek a fourth term. The presidential election is scheduled for the FIFA Congress in Rabat on 18 March 2027. Candidates must secure nominations from at least five member associations by 18 November 2026. A simple majority of the 211 associations—106 votes—is required to win. Before the crisis, Infantino had collected more than 200 endorsement letters and appeared set to run unopposed, as he had in 2019 and 2023. That certainty has evaporated.
No formal challenger has yet declared. CONCACAF president Victor Montagliani has been widely discussed as the most plausible potential candidate. A Canadian administrator who helped deliver the 2026 World Cup, Montagliani is a FIFA vice-president and is reported to be weighing his options. Other names have circulated in European circles, but building a global coalition capable of defeating an incumbent who still controls significant development funding and relationships across Africa, parts of Asia and South America remains a formidable task.
FIFA’s structure works in Infantino’s favour. Every member association, regardless of size or football strength, has one vote. This system has historically protected presidents who maintain strong ties with smaller federations. Infantino has overseen a sharp increase in development grants to member associations during his tenure, a fact his supporters highlight as evidence of tangible progress. His critics counter that this system of patronage has reversed earlier governance reforms and concentrated power excessively in the presidency.
The broader stakes extend beyond one man’s future. UEFA has maintained its threat of boycotting FIFA competitions if governance concerns are not properly addressed. Discussions among European, North American and Asian officials about alternative frameworks for organising international football have already begun, according to reports. Whether such talk produces concrete action or remains a pressure tactic is unclear, but it underscores the depth of the fracture.
Infantino’s defenders point to the commercial success of the 2026 World Cup and argue that the FFE plan, however poorly handled, was an attempt to secure long-term funding for the global game. His opponents see a pattern of overreach, excessive closeness to political leaders, and a willingness to prioritise commercial deals over the traditional custodianship of the sport. The apology and internal vote of confidence have bought him time, but they have not restored the broad institutional trust he once enjoyed.
As of mid-August 2026, Gianni Infantino is not on the verge of immediate removal. He retains the presidency, the formal backing of FIFA’s senior management, and meaningful support across several confederations. Yet the path to a comfortable re-election in March 2027 has become significantly steeper. The coming months will test whether the anger generated by the FFE proposal hardens into an organised challenge or gradually dissipates. For the first time in a decade, the possibility that FIFA could have a new president in 2027 is no longer remote. The outcome will shape not only Infantino’s legacy but the direction of the world’s most popular sport.
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