Photo: SCANPIX / picture alliance / SvenSimon
The plan involved selling 20% of a new division to which FIFA’s commercial rights were to be transferred. The deal was expected to raise approximately $4.2 billion from private investors. However, the initiative drew sharp criticism from national federations, particularly in Europe. Additional concerns arose following reports of the possible involvement in the project of a company linked to the family of U.S. President Donald Trump.
Under pressure from FIFA members, Infantino was forced to abandon the project, but this did not stop the wave of criticism. UEFA accused the organization’s leadership of attempting to “sell the soul of soccer” and stated that it no longer trusts the FIFA president.
Discontent is also growing within the organization itself. According to Reuters, FIFA Secretary General Mattias Grafström described the incident in a memo to staff as a “sad and shameful series of events” that culminated in the project’s permanent cancellation. FIFA Chief Operating Officer Kevin Lamour had previously described the initiative as “a one-man project,” Infantino’s senior adviser, Carlos Cordeiro, resigned in protest, and FIFA’s head of global football development, Arsène Wenger, stated that the decision to abandon the deal was “absolutely necessary.”
Infantino’s main task now is to maintain the support of the majority of the 211 national associations until the next FIFA Congress and presidential election, which will take place in about seven months. According to the British newspaper The Times, UEFA, CONCACAF, and the Asian Football Confederation are discussing joint actions to increase pressure on the FIFA president, including a boycott of the organization’s activities. Neither FIFA nor the confederations have officially confirmed this information.
At the same time, Infantino maintains a strong position in Africa, as well as in a number of Asian countries and other developing soccer regions, where FIFA’s financial support programs remain an important source of funding for national federations. To convene an extraordinary congress, which could consider a change in the organization’s leadership, written requests from at least 43 of the 211 member associations are required.
The outcome of the current crisis could determine not only Infantino’s future but also the balance of power in world soccer ahead of the FIFA presidential election, if the organization’s opponents manage to unite behind a single candidate.
