UEFA Says FIFA Leadership Has Lost Its Confidence After World Cup Plan Reversal
UEFA demanded a fundamental review of FIFA governance after Gianni Infantino abandoned a proposal to sell stakes in a company controlling World Cup commercial rights.
In short
- UEFA demanded a fundamental review of FIFA governance after Gianni Infantino abandoned a proposal to sell stakes in a company controlling World Cup commercial rights.
UEFA has said FIFA’s current leadership has lost its confidence and called for a fundamental governance review after FIFA president Gianni Infantino abandoned a proposal to sell private investors stakes in a company that would control commercial and operational rights for major competitions, including the men’s and women’s World Cups.
The European governing body welcomed the withdrawal but said the reversal should not end scrutiny of how the proposal was developed. UEFA said it would work with its 55 member associations and other confederations to examine the process and develop safeguards against similar plans.
The intervention represents a new stage in the dispute. FIFA’s decision to drop the proposed FIFA Forward Enterprise arrangement had already ended the immediate plan, but UEFA’s August 1 statement shifted attention to Infantino’s leadership and the organisation’s governance. UEFA stopped short of formally demanding his resignation.
European officials have begun discussing a possible challenger for FIFA’s presidential election scheduled for March 2027, The Guardian reported. The deadline for prospective candidates to declare is November 18, 2026, while letters endorsing Infantino can be withdrawn.
UEFA also called for changes to FIFA’s system for distributing money to its 211 member associations. Under the abandoned proposal, FIFA had argued that selling a 20% stake in the new company could increase payments to associations. UEFA said football development should instead be financed without selling stakes in the competitions.
