Three Confederations Turn Against Infantino Over FIFA Sell-Off

FIFA president Gianni Infantino has faced fierce opposition from three of football’s most powerful confederations after his controversial commercial proposal collapsed. UEFA, CONCACAF and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) all rejected FIFA’s plan to sell a minority stake in a new commercial subsidiary that would have housed nearly every revenue-generating asset the governing body owns. While UEFA threatened to boycott FIFA competitions, CONCACAF and the AFC simply demanded the proposal be scrapped entirely.

Facing resistance from confederations representing 143 of FIFA’s 211 member associations, Infantino eventually withdrew the plan. Yet the retreat has done little to calm the growing rebellion within football’s governing body. In a joint letter, senior figures from all three confederations went further, directly questioning Infantino’s leadership. The letter stated: “Leadership in football is not a possession. It is not about holding — or demanding — power to be held. It is a duty of service to the football family that entrusts it. When trust is broken through deception, when an individual places himself above the collective that entrusted him with authority, that duty has been abandoned.”

The letter also dismissed FIFA’s explanation that the project simply became too divisive, arguing instead: “It treats this as a failure of communication, when what football witnessed was a failure of judgment,” describing the attempted sale as “a fundamental breach of trust.”

Since taking office in 2016, Infantino has steadily expanded FIFA’s competitions, revenues and personal authority, with opposition typically remaining fragmented. This marks one of the first moments where such a broad coalition has directly confronted his leadership. The proposed FIFA Football Enterprises (FFE) would have bundled broadcasting rights, sponsorships, ticketing, hospitality and licensing before selling a minority stake to outside investors. FIFA maintained investors would hold no sporting authority and that majority control would remain intact.

Still, the proposal asked football to accept something it has long resisted — treating the World Cup as an investment asset rather than a purely sporting institution. Political optics worsened the backlash further, as Infantino has grown increasingly close to Donald Trump, with FIFA opening an office inside Trump Tower and awarding the President its inaugural Peace Prize. The proposed transaction itself was led by Thrive Eternal, a firm whose leadership includes members of Trump’s extended family.

The fallout has since expanded into a broader power struggle. England, Wales and Finland are among the nations that have withdrawn their support for Infantino’s re-election bid, while Argentina, Morocco, Mexico, Sri Lanka, Qatar and the African confederation have pledged continued backing, leaving football’s governing body deeply divided.

CONCACAF president Victor Montagliani is now seen as a potential challenger to Infantino, who is seeking a fourth and final term at FIFA’s presidential election in Rabat next March. Candidates must formally declare by 18 November. For years, challenging Infantino seemed futile, given his strong relationships with smaller associations built through development funding. That support base hasn’t vanished, but perception matters greatly in football politics — an incumbent forced into retreat suddenly appears far more vulnerable than before.

Whether FIFA’s 211 member associations now have the appetite to challenge an administration whose credibility has been seriously damaged remains to be seen.

Do you think this backlash will be enough to end Infantino’s grip on FIFA leadership?