Summary
- UEFA says it has lost confidence in Infantino after his secret $20bn World Cup commercial-sale plan.
- FIFA abandoned the $20bn FFE deal after a member revolt and investor/sponsor nerves over governance.
- UEFA’s 55 nations surpass the 46 member associations required to trigger a vote of no confidence.
Gianni Infantino’s FIFA presidency is facing its most serious threat yet, after UEFA issued a blistering statement declaring it has lost confidence in his leadership.
The fallout stems from FIFA’s now-abandoned plan to sell a stake in its commercial operations to private investors. The proposal, known as FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE), would have bundled together broadcast rights, sponsorship, ticket sales and licensing tied to the World Cup into a new entity valued at around $20 billion, with FIFA aiming to raise roughly $4.2 billion by selling off a 20% stake.
JP Morgan was brought in to structure the deal, while Thrive Capital, the investment firm founded by Joshua Kushner, was lined up to lead the group of investors.
The idea was sold internally as a way to generate long-term revenue for the game. In practice, it triggered a full-blown revolt. Critics warned it would hand private investors influence over the running of football’s biggest competition, with FIFA’s own governance and the World Cup itself effectively up for sale to the highest bidder.
|
Confederation |
Stance on FFE Plan |
|---|---|
|
UEFA (Europe) |
Unanimously rejected the plan; voted to boycott all FIFA competitions until it was scrapped |
|
CONCACAF (North/Central America) |
Formally opposed the plan, citing lack of consultation and an “artificially short deadline” |
|
AFC (Asia) |
Opposed the plan, said it “cannot realistically achieve” consensus, stopped short of a boycott threat |
|
CAF (Africa) |
Had not taken a formal position, convened meetings to discuss the plan |
|
CONMEBOL (South America) |
Remained largely silent; president seen as sympathetic to Infantino |
|
OFC (Oceania) |
Began a consultation process with member nations, no formal verdict issued |
UEFA’s 55 nations call for Infantino to step down
UEFA have not held back, accusing Infantino of abandoning the principles he was elected on a decade ago. On behalf of its 55 members, which include England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, their statement says stopping the proposal must not be the end of the story.
“We cannot keep going on like this with secret schemes on fast track timescales, cooked up by faceless individuals and of dubious benefit to the game. We must identify those responsible and hold them to account.
“It is right that, in the coming days and weeks, UEFA will work with its associations and in close cooperation with other confederations to reflect on how this happened and devise a plan to make sure that it cannot occur again. That review should be thorough and fundamental. No option should be off the table. The current FIFA leadership has not only lost UEFA’s confidence but also that of many other members of the football family.
“When Gianni Infantino asked for the trust and the votes of FIFA’s Member Associations to elect him as their President in 2016, he said, ‘Of course we have to be transparent. I have been this in the last 15 years of my life in UEFA. You will have to play a part every day in the life of FIFA,’ before telling the assembled stakeholders, ‘The money of FIFA is your money. It’s not the money of the FIFA President. It’s your money. You are the national associations and the money of FIFA has to serve for the development of football and not for anything else.’
“On both these promises, he has failed to deliver. The shabby, back room, opaque deal he hatched and tried to force through was anything but transparent.”
The Real Reason Behind Infantino’s U-Turn
Facing the prospect of Europe’s biggest nations refusing to take part in FIFA competitions, Infantino confirmed on Friday that the plan would not go ahead.
“Having listened carefully to all the views, it has become clear that the project has created divisions of a nature that, regardless of the level of support, are no longer in the interest of the objective set out in the first place,” he said, insisting FIFA’s purpose has “always been – and will always be – to unite and improve,” before confirming “this proposal will not proceed.”
While Infantino has framed the withdrawal as a response to feedback from the football family, sources close to the deal point to a different explanation: Kushner’s Thrive Capital getting cold feet.
With European broadcasters and sponsors threatening to walk away entirely, the commercial logic underpinning the $20 billion valuation began to fall apart. “There is no way they want to continue to be involved in this mess,” one source briefed on the situation said. “This is becoming a brand nightmare.”
For Infantino, seeking re-election next year, the damage may already be done. The threshold for FIFA member associations to trigger a vote of no confidence is 46 – UEFA alone has 55 on board.
