Uefa has taken the lead in a concerted effort to force Gianni Infantino’s resignation as Fifa president after his plan to privatise the World Cup spectacularly collapsed, leaving the Swiss official politically exposed just as support from national associations begins to evaporate.
How the plan unravelled
The initiative—dubbed the “FFE plan” by Fifa—sought to sell off a portion of the World Cup’s commercial rights to a private equity consortium led by CVC Capital Partners, a move Infantino framed as a way to “grow football everywhere.” Yet within days, the proposal was scrapped, with Fifa’s own announcement conceding the idea had failed to secure the necessary backing from its own member associations. The volte-face came just hours after reports that Uefa and Concacaf were preparing to challenge the plan through legal action, arbitration, and regulatory complaints. In a letter to Infantino, Uefa warned it was “actively considering legal action, arbitration, and/or regulatory complaints arising out of and in connection with the FFE plan.”
The collapse has exposed the fragility of Infantino’s support base. At least 200 national associations had previously submitted endorsement letters for his 2027–2031 presidential bid, yet the process was widely criticised as coercive, with reports of direct pressure applied to smaller federations to secure signatures. Wales and Finland have already started withdrawing their letters, with the English FA also reportedly preparing to follow suit. The withdrawal of these endorsements would deprive Infantino of the formal backing he needs to contest the next election, scheduled for March 2027. The Guardian reported that at least five other European associations are reviewing their positions, including the Scottish FA and the Irish FA, while sources in South America suggest Conmebol may also reconsider its stance.
Why Uefa’s campaign matters now
Uefa’s intervention marks a turning point. European football’s governing body is coordinating with Concacaf to undermine Infantino’s traditional vote-winning tactic: distributing Fifa’s record $7.5bn World Cup profits to individual associations in exchange for loyalty. Uefa’s stance is blunt: the money should flow to members as a right, not as a political favour. By framing the FFE plan as an illegitimate manoeuvre to bypass normal governance, Uefa is attempting to recast Infantino’s financial promises as distractions from his broader mismanagement—particularly his handling of the expanded Club World Cup, which critics argue was rushed through without proper consultation.
The legal threat adds teeth. Uefa’s threat of arbitration and regulatory complaints suggests it is prepared to escalate beyond diplomatic pressure, targeting the legality of the FFE plan itself. If successful, such proceedings could force Fifa into a humiliating public review of its governance, further eroding Infantino’s authority. The timing is critical: with the World Cup’s commercial windfalls already distributed, the political value of Infantino’s financial promises has diminished, leaving him vulnerable to defections among the associations that once saw him as a reliable patron. BBC Sport noted that Infantino’s recent pledge to double Fifa’s Forward development fund to $16bn by 2030 is now viewed by critics as a desperate bid to buy loyalty rather than a sustainable policy.
The road ahead for Infantino
Infantino has responded with conciliatory language, pledging to “bring all interested parties back together” in the coming weeks to “continue growing football everywhere.” Yet the damage is done. The withdrawal of endorsement letters—once a formality—now carries existential weight, and the English FA’s reported move would remove one of Fifa’s largest European backers. Without a critical mass of support, Infantino could face a scenario where he cannot even secure a place on the 2027 ballot, let alone win it.
His allies insist the FFE plan was a well-intentioned attempt to modernise Fifa’s revenue model, but the backlash has exposed deep divisions over transparency and accountability. The episode has also laid bare the limits of Infantino’s once-formidable coalition-building, as even associations that benefited from his financial largesse now question the legitimacy of his methods. Uefa’s campaign, meanwhile, signals a rare moment of unity among football’s traditional power brokers, who see Infantino’s presidency as a liability rather than an asset. Reuters reported that a group of African and Asian associations, traditionally Infantino strongholds, are now privately expressing concerns about his leadership style, with some calling for a transitional figure to oversee reforms.
The coming weeks will determine whether Infantino can salvage his position or if the groundswell of opposition becomes unstoppable. What began as a dispute over commercial strategy has escalated into a legitimacy crisis—and the stakes could not be higher for the future of Fifa’s leadership.
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