The major continental powers in world football are considering the possibility of launching a vote of no confidence on FIFA President Gianni Infantino, as part of their efforts to oust him after he angered them with a proposal to sell a share of the World Cup to private investors, according to senior officials familiar with the discussions who spoke to Reuters.
The discussions include the European Football Association (UEFA), the Asian Football Confederation, and the Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association (CONCACAF). Reuters did not find any previous case during FIFA’s 122-year history in which the General Assembly voted no confidence in a sitting president.
One source, who requested anonymity due to the sensitivity of the discussions, said: “There is no way out. Either he leaves peacefully and decides not to run next March, or he leaves the hard way,” referring to the possibility of holding a vote of no confidence.
Under the FIFA Statutes, the Federation Council can call for an extraordinary general assembly at any time, and it must call for it if at least one fifth of the 211 member associations submit a written request specifying the items required to be included on the agenda.
The extraordinary general assembly must then be held within three months, and each participating union has one vote. However, the FIFA statute does not include a specific text regulating a vote of no confidence in the president.
FIFA did not respond to Reuters’ request for comment.
UEFA did not comment directly on whether no-confidence discussions were already underway, and referred Reuters to its previous statement in which it stressed the need for the review of FIFA’s leadership and governance to be “comprehensive and radical,” and that “no option should be ruled out.”
CONCACAF refused to comment directly, and referred Reuters to the previous joint statement with UEFA and the Asian Confederation, which accused FIFA’s leadership of committing a fundamental breach of trust. The AFC did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Infantino had announced his intention to run for re-election during the FIFA General Assembly scheduled for March 2027, and he still enjoys great support from a number of member federations, including federations on the African continent.
FIFA apologized to its member federations for the errors in dealing with the proposal, while six Arab federations last week, including Qatar and Morocco, the hosting partner for the 2030 World Cup, announced their public support for Infantino. FIFA's leadership also renewed its full support for the president following a crisis meeting held in Morocco at the beginning of this month.
A senior official familiar with the file told Reuters that the three continental federations support the option of a vote of no confidence, but there are fears that the failure of the attempt will strengthen Infantino, show that he continues to enjoy electoral support, and strengthen his position before the presidential elections scheduled for next year.
Infantino has been under intense pressure since the collapse of his proposal to sell a minority stake in a new commercial entity affiliated with FIFA to private investors, an entity that would have controlled the commercial rights to the World Cup, the most important tournament in football.
FIFA expects its revenues during the 2023-2026 cycle to exceed $15 billion, with the bulk of it coming during the 2026 World Cup year.
Three of the six continental federations affiliated with FIFA opposed the proposal, namely UEFA, the Asian Confederation and CONCACAF, before directing sharp criticism at Infantino’s handling of it, citing deficiencies in transparency, consultation and governance.
The crisis deepened this week with the departure of Kevin Lamour, FIFA's director of operations, who had criticized the investment proposal and said that employees had been "misled" about what he described as a one-person project. FIFA did not provide a reason for his departure.
Sandor Chani, Vice President of FIFA, also withdrew his support for Infantino this week, considering that Lamour’s departure was “the last straw.”
On the other hand, Infantino's opponents face major obstacles.
No competitor has yet come forward publicly to run against him before the nomination period closes on November 18, and Infantino still enjoys the support of parts of the FIFA membership.
Patrice Motsepe, President of the Confederation of African Football, confirmed last week Africa's continued support for Infantino, stressing that the president's future should be decided by FIFA members through elections.
Under the abandoned investment proposal, member associations would have received one-time capital funding of up to $20 million, to be used for infrastructure, training, national teams, competitions, grassroots football and the women's game.
“Those who want to confront Infantino at the ballot box should come out,” Fleetwood Haya, president of the Malawi Football Association, told Reuters last week. They have to tell us what they have to offer. “As the president of the Malawi Federation, I need to know what they are going to offer Malawi.”
The pressure is not limited to those who have the right to vote within FIFA.
The European Football Clubs Association, which is headed by Nasser Al-Khelaifi, president of Paris Saint-Germain, and represents more than 800 clubs, stands with UEFA and other parties seeking to bring about change within FIFA, according to a source familiar with the discussions.
The association warned FIFA that its clubs may refuse to participate in the upcoming editions of the Club World Cup for men and women unless its concerns related to governance and the clubs’ relationship with the International Federation are addressed.
Clubs do not have the right to vote in FIFA, but they have great sporting and commercial influence.
Michael Payne, former head of marketing for the International Olympic Committee, said Infantino's election victory would not necessarily end the divisions.
He added to Reuters: “You may be able to pass with a 51 percent majority with the support of many small countries, but all the major powers in football stand against you.” How will you manage the organization?
None of FIFA's sponsors publicly criticized Infantino against the backdrop of the crisis.
“Sponsors raise their eyebrows and ask: How can you organize such a successful World Cup and then shoot yourself in the foot?” Payne said.
As for the senior official familiar with the no-confidence discussions, he believes that the damage has already become irreparable.
“You can't put ketchup back in the bottle,” he said.
