European federations seek to oust FIFA president Infantino
European football federations are reportedly seeking to remove FIFA President Gianni Infantino amid the controversy over the World Cup commercial rights plan.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino faces the gravest crisis of his tenure after his plan to sell stakes in the World Cup and other competitions to private investors provoked a global backlash, forcing a humiliating U-turn and triggering calls for his resignation.
The controversy began when Infantino proposed creating a new subsidiary, FIFA Forward Enterprise, to manage the commercial rights of major tournaments. He offered each of FIFA's 211 member associations an immediate payment of around £15 million (rising to £30 million if the deal went through) as an incentive to back the plan by a 19 September deadline. Critics were quick to point out that the lead investment group was expected to be Thrive Capital, founded by Joshua Kushner, the brother of Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner.
European football's governing body UEFA reacted with fury. It scheduled an emergency meeting and issued a statement saying the proposal "crosses a line that football's governing institutions should never cross". The English Football Association said it was "deeply concerned", while the Asian Football Confederation and CONCACAF (which covers North and Central America and the Caribbean) also voiced opposition. Within days, UEFA announced that all 55 of its member nations had agreed to boycott the World Cup and all other FIFA tournaments if the privatisation plan went ahead.
The pressure intensified when Carlos Cordeiro, a senior adviser to Infantino and a former Goldman Sachs vice-chairman, resigned. In a statement, he called the proposal "a bad deal for football" and said he "could not stand by" while FIFA considered selling a stake in the sport. FIFA's own chief operating officer, Kevin Lamore, publicly stated that the organisation had been "deceived" and described the plan as "the project of one person".
Faced with a rebellion that had united Europe, North America and Asia against him, a bloc of 136 votes, Infantino back down. In a statement released early on a Saturday, he said: "Having listened carefully to all the views, it has become clear that the project has created divisions of a nature that, regardless of the level of support, are no longer in the interest of the objective set out in the first place." He added that the proposal would not proceed.
But the climbdown did not defuse the crisis. UEFA said it had lost confidence in Infantino's leadership and described his plans as a "shabby backroom opaque deal". The English FA and the Welsh FA formally withdrew their support for his re-election as FIFA president, which is due in March next year. The Football Association of Wales said his "failures in good governance processes, leadership values, stakeholder management, communications and sound judgment" meant he had lost their trust.
The opposition grew further when the three confederations, UEFA, CONCACAF and the AFC, issued a joint open letter accusing Infantino of "deception" and a "profound lapse in judgment". They wrote: "When trust is broken through deception, when an individual places himself above the collective that entrusted him with that authority, that duty has been abandoned."
Infantino has not resigned. He convened a meeting of senior FIFA executives in Morocco, a country that has publicly backed him and is a co-host of the 2030 World Cup. After the meeting, the FIFA management board reaffirmed its support for him, and both Infantino and the secretary- general, Mattias Grafström, signed a letter acknowledging "mistakes" but pledging to continue. Grafström had earlier described the affair as a "sad and reproachable series of events" in an internal email.
Further controversy emerged when the Daily Telegraph reported that UEFA had made a six-figure severance payment to a female employee who was alleged to have had an affair with Infantino while he was UEFA's general secretary. Both Infantino and FIFA strongly denied the claims. UEFA confirmed the payment had been made but said it was in line with regulations at the time.
Despite the pressure, Infantino has continued to shore up support. He travelled to Colombia for the inauguration of the country's new president and met with the head of South America's football confederation, CONMEBOL, which has so far stood by him. The Confederation of African Football (CAF) also reiterated its backing. And in a boost for Infantino, US President Donald Trump weighed in, posting on social media that FIFA would be "making a terrible mistake" if it replaced him.
With the deadline for challengers to enter the presidential race set for 18 November, the future of Gianni Infantino remains uncertain. The game is more divided than at any point since the corruption scandals that forced his predecessor Sepp Blatter out of office. The Women's Under-20 World Cup, due to begin in Poland in September, will be the first test of whether UEFA is prepared to follow through on its threat to boycott FIFA competitions. As one former FA chairman put it: "This is not a matter of compromise. This is a totally unacceptable situation."
On screen
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Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, mapped by channel. Ordered by how many channels carried each claim.
| Claim | Channel 5 | BBC News | BBC News at Six | BBC One | BBC Two | Channel 4 | GB News | ITV | Sky News |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| All 55 UEFA member nations agreed to back a World Cup boycott if FIFA sells a stake to private investors. | · | ||||||||
| The English FA prepared to withdraw its backing for FIFA President Infantino's re-election, following Wales which was the first to drop support, amid reports that Infantino had 200 letters of support before the controversy but now faces opposition from UEFA and CONCACAF countries. | · | · | |||||||
| The first test of the boycott could be the Women's World Cup playoffs in October. | · | · | |||||||
| Thrive Eternal, founded by Joshua Kushner, is expected to lead the investment round. | · | · | |||||||
| Carlos Cordeiro resigned in opposition to the plan. | · | · | · | ||||||
| FIFA proposed selling a minority stake in World Cup commercial rights via a new private company called FIFA Forward Enterprise. | · | · | · | ||||||
| FIFA's chief operating officer spoke out against the plan. | · | · | · | ||||||
| Infantino told FIFA's in-house media that the plan was not mandatory. | · | · | · | ||||||
| The Daily Telegraph reported that UEFA made a six-figure payment to a woman alleged to have had an affair with Infantino during his time as UEFA's general secretary. | · | · | · | ||||||
| The Football Association expressed deep concern and said it was unaware of the proposal. | · | · | · | ||||||
| UEFA lost confidence in FIFA leadership under Gianni Infantino. | · | · | · | ||||||
| UEFA stated that the plan crosses a line and that football is not FIFA's to sell. | · | · | · |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
BBC ONE West provided straightforward, chronological coverage of the key developments, including the financial incentives offered by Infantino, the opposition from UEFA and national FAs, and the eventual withdrawal of support. It focused on the factual timeline without extensive analysis, emphasising the scale of the rebellion.
- “FIFA's promised £15 million up front for each of its 211 members if they agree to the plans by the 19th September.”
- “The English FA are also set to withdraw their support for Infantino's re-election as questions over his future continue to grow.”
- “UEFA described it as a shabby backroom opaque deal.”
Sky News emphasised the internal dissent within FIFA, including exclusive reports on Carlos Cordeiro's resignation and the leaked internal emails from the secretary-general. It also highlighted the joint letter from three confederations and provided regular, detailed updates from its sports correspondent, giving a sense of a fast-moving crisis.
- “I cannot stand by while FIFA considers selling a stake in the World Cup... It is a bad deal for football.”
- “FIFA is scrapping moves to sell off shares in the World Cup to private investors.”
- “When trust is broken through deception, when an individual places himself above the collective that entrusted him with that authority, that duty has been abandoned.”
ITV1 focused on the political dimension, especially Prime Minister Andy Burnham's reaction and the involvement of the UK government. It also highlighted the threat of legal action from UEFA and the withdrawal of support by the English and Welsh FAs. The tone was critical of Infantino's leadership.
- “What's your response to the FIFA climb down Prime Minister? Well, it's the right decision.”
- “The shabby backroom opaque deal he hatched and tried to force through was anything but transparent.”
- “UEFA is actively considering legal action over his scrap proposals.”
5 News adopted a breaking-news style, leading with the UEFA boycott vote and later covering the Welsh FA's withdrawal. It used dramatic language (e.g., 'could it be the end of the World Cup as we know it?') and included interviews with former FA chairman David Bernstein, who backed the boycott threat.
- “All 55 UEFA member nations have now agreed to back a World Cup boycott if FIFA goes ahead with plans to sell a sake in the tournament to private investors.”
- “It looks like 55 countries including the home nation say they will boycott the tournament if Gianni Infantino's plans to sell off the contest go ahead.”
- “FIFA's plans are falling apart.”
BBC News provided comprehensive and constant updates across its bulletins, from the initial backlash to the scrapping of the plan and the ongoing pressure. It gave a balanced account of the opposition and Infantino's defence, including statements from FIFA. It also carried interviews with football journalists and governance experts.
- “FIFA President Gianni Infantino says that he is scrapping plans to sell stakes in the World Cup to private equity investors.”
- “Having listened carefully to all the views, it has become clear that the project has created divisions of a nature that, regardless of the level of support, are no longer in the interest of the objective set out in the first place.”
- “The current FIFA leadership has not only lost UEFA's confidence, but also that of many other members of the football family.”
GB News covered the story with an opinionated slant, focusing on the political and personal aspects such as the Trump connection and alleged corruption. The presenters discussed whether the World Cup should be sold off, and the tone was sceptical of Infantino, describing the deal as a 'moral issue' and comparing it to privatising British Rail.
- “It seems to me to be more of a moral issue than anything particularly practical.”
- “It's all Trump and this chap Infantino who are hand in glove trying to do this.”
- “The shabby backroom opaque deal he hatched and tried to force through was anything but transparent.”
BBC Two's Newsnight programme focused on the political and governance implications, featuring an exclusive interview with UEFA vice-president Laura McAllister. The discussion centred on whether the boycott threat was credible and what it would mean for the game, with a strong emphasis on the need for leadership change.
- “The World Cup is not for sale. It is both irresponsible and indefensible that a proposal of such significance for football was conceived in secret.”
- “I hope it doesn't come to a boycott. I really genuinely hope that.”
- “UEFA is demonstrating that there is a greater interest for football, that football belongs to everyone, and this is a very strong signal to Gianni Infantino.”
Channel 4 News concentrated on the fallout from the failed plan, particularly the resignation of Carlos Cordeiro and the growing opposition from confederations. It included critical comments from the Prime Minister and football governance experts, framing the crisis as a 'civil war' in world football.
- “I cannot stand by while FIFA considers selling a stake in the World Cup... It is a bad deal for FIFA's member associations, a bad deal for football and a bad deal for the long-term future of the game.”
- “I think FIFA's plans are falling apart.”
- “The idea that proper governance is not to disclose to your closest advisors, your chief operating officer, your fellow board members, something of consequence that you're even considering, let alone proposing. That's fatal, should be fatal.”
Broadcast Timeline
News broadcasts tracked for this story, in time order.