UEFA loses faith in Infantino, seeks leadership change

FIFA President Gianni Infantino is facing the biggest challenge of his decade-long reign after UEFA launched an effort to remove him from office, following a backlash over a controversial plan to open parts of the FIFA World Cup's commercial rights to private investors. Despite FIFA abandoning the proposal under mounting pressure, Europe's football governing body says it has lost confidence in Infantino's leadership and is now pushing for a vote that could end his presidency.

FIFA has withdrawn its controversial proposal to create a new commercial subsidiary that would have allowed private investors to acquire a stake in the commercial rights of the FIFA World Cup and other tournaments. However, the reversal has failed to ease tensions with UEFA, which now appears determined to challenge Gianni Infantino's leadership.

During the World Cup, Infantino came under criticism over several contentious decisions, including the implementation of new regulations, FIFA's handling of Iran, and the suspension of a red card issued to a United States player. UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin publicly distanced himself from FIFA, even skipping the World Cup final in protest.

The latest dispute erupted after FIFA unveiled plans to establish FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE), a commercial entity valued at around $20 billion, designed to manage the commercial operations of FIFA competitions. The proposal included selling part of the commercial rights of the World Cup to private investors.

The plan triggered immediate opposition from UEFA's 55 member associations, which unanimously rejected the proposal and reportedly warned of a World Cup boycott. The resistance quickly spread, with CONCACAF's 41 member associations also opposing the initiative, while the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) publicly backed UEFA's position.

Amid the growing backlash, FIFA abandoned the proposal. Adding to the pressure, Carlos Cordeiro, a close adviser to Infantino, resigned in protest over the plan.

Despite FIFA's retreat, UEFA says the damage has already been done. According to The Telegraph, all 55 UEFA member associations are prepared to support a motion of no confidence against Infantino. Only 43 member associations are required to formally trigger such a vote.

UEFA has publicly declared that it no longer has confidence in Infantino's leadership and is calling for sweeping reforms in FIFA's governance.

England's Football Association also backed UEFA's stance, saying it supports "a comprehensive and robust review" of FIFA's leadership and governance structure to ensure the global game is managed transparently and in the best interests of all 211 national associations.

With FIFA's presidential election scheduled for March 18 next year, speculation is mounting over who could succeed the Swiss administrator if his position becomes untenable. Candidate nominations are due by November 18, ahead of FIFA's 77th Congress in Morocco.

Victor Montagliani - The CONCACAF president and former head of Canada Soccer is widely viewed as a leading contender due to his administrative experience and his role in preparations for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa - The long-serving AFC president, who lost to Infantino in the 2016 FIFA presidential election, has emerged as one of the strongest critics of FIFA's latest commercial plans and remains an influential figure in global football politics.

Nasser Al-Khelaifi - The Paris Saint-Germain president and chairman of the European Club Association has significant influence in world football, although BBC reports suggest he has little interest in running for FIFA president.

Mattias Grafström - FIFA's current Secretary General and a close ally of Infantino since 2016. While his experience makes him a possible successor, his close association with the current administration could work against him if member associations seek a complete change in leadership.

-HIS