FIFA President Gianni Infantino is facing the biggest challenge to his leadership after UEFA renewed its criticism of his controversial World Cup investment plan, raising questions over his future ahead of next year’s presidential election.
The Swiss-Italian football chief survived a tense FIFA summit in Morocco this week, where senior officials publicly backed his presidency. However, the support has done little to calm growing tensions inside world football.
European football’s governing body UEFA launched another strong attack on Infantino on Thursday, demanding guarantees that FIFA would not pursue similar plans in the future after his proposal to sell shares linked to the World Cup sparked widespread criticism.
UEFA said it wanted assurances that “attempts to disfigure the game in this way will never be made again,” highlighting the deep divisions between FIFA and European football leaders.
The latest dispute comes as Infantino prepares to seek a fourth term as FIFA president, with elections scheduled for March. The vote will involve all 211 FIFA member associations, and he needs a simple majority of 106 votes to remain in power.
FIFA crisis meeting fails to silence critics
FIFA held an emergency meeting in Rabat, Morocco, on Wednesday following an internal backlash over Infantino’s controversial financial proposal.
The organisation later issued an apology and said members of its management board had reaffirmed their support for the president.
However, critics argue that the statement does not represent full backing across FIFA’s leadership.
Several senior figures have distanced themselves from the plan, including FIFA’s Secretary General Mattias Grafström, who described the situation as “turmoil which is difficult to comprehend and accept.”
Football development chief Arsène Wenger also separated himself from the proposal, while former FIFA adviser Carlos Cordeiro resigned and operations chief Kevin Lamour accused the organisation of lacking transparency.
UEFA argued that support from FIFA employees close to Infantino should not be interpreted as wider approval.
“Yesterday’s announcement that some people employed by the FIFA President agree with him changes nothing,” UEFA said.
UEFA threatens continued resistance
UEFA has maintained its opposition to Infantino’s leadership approach and warned it could consider boycotting FIFA competitions, including the World Cup.
The organisation said it had lost confidence in the FIFA president and insisted that its position had not changed.
Several national football associations have also withdrawn or reduced their support for Infantino, including the English Football Association, Serbia, Sweden and Wales.
Many others have avoided publicly backing either side, leaving uncertainty over how much support the FIFA president can rely on when voting begins.
Although regional football bodies in Europe, Asia, Africa and the Americas have expressed concerns about Infantino’s plans, they cannot force their members to vote as a bloc.
Each national federation will make its own decision.
Infantino still has support in Africa and beyond
Despite the criticism, Infantino remains influential among many FIFA members.
Africa, which has 54 votes in the election, has traditionally been one of his strongest support bases. His decision to expand the FIFA World Cup from 32 to 48 teams has been welcomed by many countries that previously struggled to qualify.
Some individual federations, including Qatar’s football authorities, have continued to show support for the FIFA president.
Infantino also reportedly collected around 200 letters of support from member associations before the latest controversy erupted.
However, analysts say some of that backing could disappear if opposition continues to grow.
Finding an alternative to Infantino remains difficult
While some football leaders want change at FIFA, finding a strong challenger capable of defeating Infantino may prove difficult.
One possible candidate often mentioned is Nasser Al-Khelaifi, the Qatari businessman who leads the European Football Clubs association.
He played a key role in bringing clubs together after the collapse of the European Super League project and is seen by some as someone who could rebuild relationships between FIFA and major football stakeholders.
However, Al-Khelaifi has reportedly ruled out running for FIFA president.
A spokesperson said he had “absolutely no ambition, no intention and no interest” in taking the role.
Other names linked to a possible challenge include FIFA vice president Victor Montagliani and Norway Football Federation president Lise Klaveness, who has been a vocal critic of Infantino.
The deadline for candidates to enter the presidential race is November 18, four months before the election.
FIFA leadership battle enters critical phase
Infantino has survived the immediate fallout from the Morocco summit, but the controversy has exposed deeper divisions within global football.
His supporters argue that his reforms have expanded opportunities for smaller football nations, while critics accuse him of concentrating power and making decisions without enough consultation.
With months remaining before the election, the battle for FIFA’s future is far from over.
The key question now is whether Infantino can maintain enough support among the 211 member associations — or whether opposition groups can unite behind a credible challenger capable of ending his decade-long leadership at football’s governing body.