Infantino under fire as calls for resignation widen

What's happened

European, North American and Asian football bodies have pressured FIFA president Gianni Infantino amid criticism of his plan to sell World Cup stakes to private investors. Motsepe says the fate should be decided by elections, while CAF backs Infantino; Ireland withdraws support amid governance concerns.

What's behind the headline?

Context and dynamics

• European, North American and Asian confederations have jointly criticised Infantino, signaling a potential leadership challenge ahead of the March 2027 elections.
• Motsepe positions himself as a proponent of due process, insisting that any leadership change be decided by member associations through the ballot box.
• CAF remains supportive, while Ireland becomes the latest FIFA member to withdraw its backing, citing governance concerns.

What this means for football governance

• The unfolding row tests FIFA's governance structures and the balance of power among confederations.
• A potential leadership change could recalibrate how football's revenue options are discussed and approved going forward.

What to watch

• Whether the coalition of UEFA, CONCACAF and AFC sustains pressure and whether more associations reconsider their positions ahead of elections.

How we got here

The controversy centers on Infantino's aborted plan to privatize stakes in the World Cup and the reaction from UEFA, CONCACAF, AFC, CAF and member associations. Motsepe argues that the process should follow FIFA's existing election procedures, with votes from all 211 member associations.

Our analysis

Al Jazeera, France 24, Sky News — quote compilation shows varying degrees of support and opposition. All note the central tension around governance, transparency and consultation.

Go deeper

• Will Infantino survive the pressure and how will the election argument unfold?
• Which confederation ultimately holds the balance of votes next year?
• What governance reforms might FIFA pursue in response to this controversy?

More on these topics

• Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) - Football organization

  FIFA is a non-profit organization which describes itself as an international governing body of association football, fútsal, beach soccer, and efootball. It is the highest governing body of football.

• Gianni Infantino - President of Fédération Internationale de Football Association

  Giovanni Vincenzo "Gianni" Infantino is a Swiss–Italian football administrator and the current president of FIFA. He was elected President of FIFA during the 2016 FIFA Extraordinary Congress on 26 February 2016.

• CONCACAF - International sport governing body

  The Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football, abbreviated as CONCACAF ( KONG-kə-kaf; typeset for branding purposes since 2018 as Concacaf), is one of FIFA's six continental governing bodies for association football. Its.

• Patrice Motsepe - Non-Executive Chairman of Harmony Gold

  Patrice Tlhopane Motsepe is a South African mining billionaire businessman of Tswana descent. Since 12 March 2021, he has been serving as the President of the Confederation of African Football.

• AFC - Wikimedia disambiguation page

  AFC may stand for:

• Union of European Football Associations - League

  The Union of European Football Associations is the administrative body for association football, futsal and beach soccer in Europe, although several member states are primarily or entirely located in Asia.

• Football Association of Ireland - Sports association

  The Football Association of Ireland is the governing body for association football in the Republic of Ireland.

• Salzburg - City in Austria

  Salzburg is the capital city of the State of Salzburg and fourth-largest city in Austria. In 2020, it had a population of 156,872. The town is located on the site of the former Roman settlement of Iuvavum. Salzburg was founded as an episcopal see in 696 a

• CAF - Wikimedia disambiguation page

  CAF or caf may refer to:

• Ireland - Island in Europe

  Ireland is an island in the North Atlantic. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel, the Irish Sea, and St George's Channel.