FIFPRO slams Infantino as UEFA boycott stands firm
Gianni Infantino: FIFPRO condemns FIFA over 'abuse of presidential power' as UEFA maintains boycott stance
Summary: FIFPRO has accused Gianni Infantino of a "profound abuse of presidential power" after his plan to sell a stake in the World Cup collapsed under pressure. UEFA says its boycott of FIFA tournaments still stands. The FA has formally withdrawn its support for Infantino's re-election bid.
Gianni Infantino is facing mounting pressure from across football after the global players' union FIFPRO accused him of a "profound abuse of presidential power". The criticism follows the collapse of his plan to sell a stake in a company set up to run the World Cup. UEFA has confirmed its threatened boycott of FIFA tournaments remains in place, while the FA has formally withdrawn its backing for Infantino's re-election.
What FIFPRO said
FIFPRO, which represents more than 70 player unions worldwide, said footballers' trust in FIFA had been "fundamentally broken" by Infantino's conduct. The union released its statement on Thursday, a day after FIFA's management board gave Infantino its "full support" following a crisis meeting in Morocco.
FIFPRO said the withdrawal of the plan, known as FIFA Forward Enterprise, was "inevitable" but did not undo the damage caused. The union stated: "The withdrawal of FFE prevented an irreversible decision. It did not restore the confidence that made such a proposal possible in the first place. That confidence has now been fundamentally broken."
FIFPRO also pushed back on suggestions that FIFA might treat criticism of Infantino as disloyalty, warning that any such move would "only deepen the concern this episode has caused".
The World Cup stake sale plan
Infantino had proposed selling around 20 per cent of a new commercial entity, which would have controlled rights to FIFA's major tournaments including the World Cup, to private investors. The deal was reported to be worth up to $4.2 billion and would have valued the new company at around $20 billion.
The plan drew fierce opposition from national associations, confederations and figures inside FIFA itself. Two senior officials spoke out publicly against it, with one resigning as a presidential adviser. FIFA's chief operating officer, Kevin Lamour, said staff had been misled over the project.
Infantino scrapped the plan on a Friday statement, saying it had "created divisions" that were no longer in the interest of football.
UEFA's boycott stance
UEFA had threatened to boycott FIFA competitions over the proposal and says that position has not changed, despite Infantino's U-turn. European football's governing body says it has lost confidence in his leadership and has previously described the process behind the plan as a "shabby, back room, opaque deal".
UEFA has also written to FIFA confirming it is considering legal action linked to the FIFA Forward Enterprise plan, and has asked Infantino and FIFA to preserve all related documents and records.
The FA's position
The FA has sent a letter formally withdrawing its support for Infantino's bid to be re-elected as FIFA president. England joins Wales, who were the first association to publicly withdraw backing, citing "failures in good governance, processes, leadership, values, stakeholder management, communications and sound judgement".
Both the FA and the FAW had previously written in support of Infantino ahead of next year's vote. Sweden has also withdrawn its backing. Other associations, including Morocco, Egypt and Qatar, have publicly supported Infantino during the row.
Background
Infantino has led FIFA since replacing Sepp Blatter in 2016 and has been re-elected unopposed twice since. He announced in April his intention to seek a fourth term. Until this controversy, his path to re-election had appeared straightforward, with reports suggesting he had secured support from 200 of FIFA's 211 member associations.
CONCACAF has also called for a full review of Infantino's leadership, and its president, Victor Montagliani, a current FIFA vice-president, has been named as a potential rival candidate.
What happens next
Infantino is expected to face continued scrutiny in the build-up to FIFA's presidential election, due to take place in March 2027 at an Extraordinary Congress in Rabat, Morocco. Any rival candidate would need to be confirmed before the November 18 nomination deadline. FIFPRO has called for binding governance reforms, including changes to how decisions are made across the international match calendar and FIFA's voting structures.
Closing
With UEFA's boycott threat unresolved, FIFPRO demanding structural reform, and more national associations expected to declare their positions in the coming days, the pressure on Infantino shows no sign of easing before football's governing body meets again in Morocco next year.
