UEFA is demanding that Gianni Infantino resign as FIFA president, saying he has lost the confidence of European football following the collapse of a plan to sell a stake in the World Cup’s commercial rights to private investors.
According to the British newspaper The Telegraph, several European officials believe Infantino’s authority was seriously weakened by the episode, which opened deep divisions inside FIFA.
The dispute centres on a proposal to create FIFA Forward Enterprise, a vehicle that would have pooled FIFA’s main commercial assets and sold roughly 20 percent of them to investment funds. The project was valued at around 20 billion dollars and was intended to increase revenues for member federations, but drew sharp criticism over the lack of transparency in the way it was drawn up and presented.
Opposition from UEFA, combined with resistance from other confederations and officials within FIFA itself, forced Infantino to withdraw the initiative. He acknowledged that the proposal had caused profound divisions among member associations and risked damaging the governance of world football.
Although FIFA has now shelved the project, figures in European football argue that the institutional damage is already done. Some voices within the continent go further, saying it would be appropriate to open a new chapter in the FIFA presidency.
The Telegraph reported that the standoff represents the most politically difficult moment Infantino has faced since taking office in 2016. He retains significant backing from federations in Asia, Africa and parts of the Americas, but the breach with UEFA could prove a turning point ahead of future FIFA elections.
