Infantino faces scrutiny over scrapped World Cup plan
FIFA President Gianni Infantino is currently facing intensified criticism following his now-abandoned proposal to sell commercial and event operations related to the World Cup. This development has led to a crisis meeting with top FIFA officials in Rabat, Morocco.
The controversial plan, which involved creating a separate entity with private investors to control the commercial and operational rights of the World Cup, sparked widespread opposition. European football body UEFA, along with governing bodies representing Europe, Asia, and North and Central America, criticized the proposal. One of Infantino’s senior advisers, Carlos Cordeiro, resigned last week in protest, describing the proposal as a “bad deal for football” that would “mortgage football’s future.”
The backlash forced Infantino to withdraw the plan. Despite the broad opposition, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) has not yet taken a stance, and five African football administrators have reportedly expressed support for Infantino.
Calls for leadership change
Amid the controversy, football legend Luis Figo has publicly stated that Infantino “must go.” Figo, who achieved significant success in his playing career including four La Liga titles and a Champions League trophy, characterized Infantino’s conduct as “the lowest, most deceitful and cravenly self-interested behaviour I have ever witnessed.”
Figo further elaborated that a leader attempting to push through such major changes to benefit himself and his associates represents a past era of the game and should not be part of its future. He asserted that while the problems at FIFA are extensive, the solution is simple: “Infantino must go.”
The criticism extends beyond Figo. FIFA secretary general Mattias Grafstrom sent an internal memo to staff describing recent events as “a sad and reproachable series of events.” Kevin Lamour, FIFA’s chief operating officer, stated that the private investment plan was “the project of one person” and that FIFA’s own administration was “deceived.”
Arsene Wenger, chief of global football development, also insisted he was “not involved” in Infantino’s FIFA Forward Enterprise proposal, adding that abandoning it was “absolutely necessary and beyond question.”
Meeting in Rabat and potential next steps
The meeting in Rabat includes Grafstrom and other members of the FIFA management board, such as finance chief Thomas Peyer, legal chief Emilio Garcia Silvero, chief of staff Daniel O’Toole, chief of member associations Elkhan Mammadov, and media relations director Bryan Swanson. The intention of the meeting is unclear, but it is anticipated that Infantino will try to mend relationships and secure his position.
Prince Ali, president of the Jordanian Football Association, accused FIFA of creating a situation amounting to blackmail concerning unpaid prize money and support for Infantino’s re-election. These claims have not been verified by reports, and FIFA has not commented when approached. However, Prince Ali’s statement indicates the strong feelings among member associations opposing Infantino.
UEFA has expressed a loss of confidence in Infantino’s leadership, and several member associations, including Wales, have withdrawn support for his re-election. Some African countries, including Egypt, Morocco, Niger, Mauritania, and DR Congo, have issued statements in support of Infantino.
While it seems unlikely that Infantino will resign by the end of Wednesday, he will need to address serious questions. Carlos Cordeiro’s resignation announcement included a series of questions that Infantino will likely face, such as the rationale behind the deal, the lack of transparency, and who would ultimately benefit. Infantino may need to offer a path to reform, potentially by implementing additional checks and balances to prevent similar proposals in the future.
If Infantino chooses to continue in his role, UEFA and other confederations may explore alternative avenues to remove him. An emergency meeting of the FIFA Council could be triggered if 19 of its 37 members call for one, though there are doubts about achieving the necessary votes. Another option is an extraordinary congress of the 211 FIFA member associations, which would require a request in writing from one-fifth, or 43 associations. UEFA, with 55 nations, could initiate such a congress, which would take at least two months to organize and would effectively be a vote of no confidence requiring 106 votes to pass.
The deadline to announce candidacy for the next FIFA Congress in March is 18 November, with Concacaf president Victor Montagliani seen as a potential unity candidate against Infantino.
Infantino was re-elected unopposed in 2019 and 2023. The current meeting in Rabat is taking place in a country considered friendly territory for Infantino, as Morocco is hosting the next World Cup and its national football association supports him. Infantino hopes to be re-elected for a fourth term at next year’s Congress.
Source: cnn.com
Mason Reed
Sports reporter covering football, basketball and international competitions.