Life moves fast for FIFA president Gianni Infantino. It began earlier this month with a zig-zagging journey across the United States, orchestrated to maximize his omnipresence as the World Cup reached its crescendo. Less than two weeks later, Infantino finds himself in a precarious position, confronting a rapidly shifting landscape of condemnation, divestment, and internal turmoil within Fifa. This period has been marked by a series of significant developments, leading to a palpable sense of unease and a widespread questioning of the organization’s future direction.
It was a tumultuous start. On July 19th, Infantino must have felt on top of the world as, together with US President Donald Trump, handed the trophy over to Spain, a move that immediately ignited controversy. Subsequently, he was swiftly stripped of controversial plans to sell stakes in Fifa competitions to private investment, a decision condemned by UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham. This clash with Burnham, alongside criticism from fans of the game he professes to want to protect, has further intensified the debate.
These challenges have reverberated throughout the football ecosystem, fueling a growing sense of instability within the governing body. The AFC, the governing body of the Asian Football Confederation, has expressed concern, characterizing the situation as a ‘fundamental weakness in Fifa’s consultation and decision-making processes’ that must now be addressed. Furthermore, the threatened boycott of Fifa competitions by European governing bodies like Uefa – reinforced by Concacaf (North and Central America and the Caribbean) and the AFC – represents a significant challenge to the established order. These actions, coupled with the resignation of Carlos Cordeiro, Fifa’s special advisor and appointed by Trump as senior advisor to the White House Task Force on the 2026 World Cup, underscore a growing sense of discontent amongst key stakeholders.
The situation is further complicated by the potential for a ‘de-escalation’ of the drama, potentially leading to Infantino’s eventual removal. However, the question remains: who will take over?
Former Football Association chairman David Bernstein stated, ‘In a normal organization, if he had to back down due to something of this magnitude, he’d probably be shown the door.’ However, a significant portion of the Concacaf members are reportedly losing faith in Infantino’s ability to govern the game, and some have even lost faith entirely. The threat of a boycott by European governing bodies, particularly the Uefa, is further intensifying the pressure, and the recent withdrawal of several members, citing the drama unfolding, suggests a substantial portion of the European fanbase is becoming disillusioned.
The situation is exacerbated by the role of former vice-president Jim Boyce, who believes Infantino will ‘still have enough support’ to be re-elected but ‘if things continue at the pace they are continuing, who knows?’ He added that if I was a betting man, I would still bet that Infantino will get his final four-year term.
Infantino has been Fifa president since 2016, having previously served as secretary general of Uefa for seven years. Blatter was unopposed in 1974 and Sir Stanley Rous in 1974, highlighting a long history of political maneuvering within the organisation. Brazilian Joao Havelange was the last person to unseat a Fifa president in an election, ousting Sir Stanley Rous in 1974, and no-one opposed Havelange for five straight terms until he finally resigned in 1998, aged 82.
Letters of support are being submitted, but the political landscape is shifting rapidly. Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa, the AFC president, has taken the lead, promising governance reform. The Bahraini has presided over substantial growth within the Asian Confederation, expanding it to more than 800 members and establishing the Champions League Elite, Champions League Two, the Challenge League, and the Women’s Champions League. The Qatari is a potential challenger, but the other side of the equation is a significant hurdle.
At the Leaders conference in 2025, he outlined why he felt football was strong enough to ride out any storm. ‘The game is bigger than world current leaders,’ he said. ‘Football will survive regimes. Does it cause a headache? Of course. You have to be realistic about that. That is the beauty of our game, it is bigger than any individual and country.’
The question now is: who will step into Infantino’s shoes? Mattias Grafstrom, Fifa’s secretary general, has become a prominent figure at the table, providing a crucial, but potentially destabilizing, perspective.
Image source: Getty Images
Image caption: Concacaf president Victor Montagliani consoles Lionel Messi after Argentina’s World Cup final defeat by Spain
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