Infantino clings on as Tebas, UEFA and CONCACAF demand his exit after failed World Cup rights sale
FIFA president Gianni Infantino is fighting for his political survival after abandoning a plan to sell a stake in World Cup commercial rights to private investors. Spanish league chief Javier Tebas, UEFA, and CONCACAF have all demanded accountability, while African federations offered support.
Failed investor deal
FIFA president Gianni Infantino abandoned a plan to sell up to 20 percent of the organisation's commercial rights, including those tied to the men's and women's World Cups and the Club World Cup, to private investors. The proposal was withdrawn on Saturday after a wave of condemnation from continental federations and national associations. Infantino had framed the deal as a way to unlock new revenue, but critics saw it as a unilateral power grab that sidelined football's stakeholders.
Tebas leads public attack
La Liga president Javier Tebas, a long-time critic, posted a detailed call for Infantino's resignation on Saturday evening. He described the withdrawn proposal as only the tip of the iceberg and listed a catalogue of grievances: the lifting of US striker Folarin Balogun's suspension after a phone call from Donald Trump, scandalous ticket prices, the handling of corruption cases, and the reshaping of the international match calendar without genuine dialogue.
Withdrawing a proposal does not erase everything that has happened. It is only the tip of the iceberg.
Tebas concluded that Infantino could no longer lead FIFA, arguing the real problem was a governance model that centralises power and marginalises those affected by its decisions.
Continental bodies turn
UEFA withdrew confidence in Infantino hours before Tebas spoke, issuing a statement that demanded a thorough and comprehensive review. The European body said no option should be ruled out and that those responsible must be identified and held accountable. CONCACAF, representing North and Central America and the Caribbean, followed with an even sharper rebuke, calling the failed deal a symptom of a leadership that had stopped putting football first.
This latest unilateral and outrageous act, which testifies to poor governance and weak leadership, is part of a series of missteps and similar behaviour. A comprehensive review of this presidency is essential.
DFB president Bernd Neuendorf added that Infantino had acted irresponsibly in the sense of football, while British prime minister Andy Burnham also suggested the FIFA chief should step aside.
African support holds
Infantino is not entirely isolated. The Egyptian Football Association expressed its full confidence in his leadership, and Morocco, which will host the 77th FIFA Congress in 2027, renewed its support. That backing from Africa provides a political counterweight, but it has not silenced the growing chorus of demands for change from Europe and the Americas.
- FIFA withdraws the proposal to sell up to 20% of commercial rights to private investors after intense backlash.
- UEFA withdraws confidence in Infantino and demands a thorough review, stating no option is off the table.
- CONCACAF calls the failed deal a symptom of poor governance and demands a comprehensive review of Infantino's presidency.
- La Liga president Javier Tebas publicly calls for Infantino's resignation, calling the withdrawn proposal 'only the tip of the iceberg'.
What comes next
Infantino had intended to stand for a final four-year term at the FIFA Congress in Rabat in March 2027. The statutes of world football's governing body make removing a sitting president difficult, requiring a no-confidence vote or a resignation. The current revolt, however, has turned what was expected to be a routine re-election into an open contest, with potential successors already being discussed in the background.
