UEFA, the European football federation, is standing firm, confirming its intention to boycott FIFA competitions if Gianni Infantino remains at the helm. “The boycott of FIFA competitions remains in place; nothing has changed: there is no longer any trust in Infantino,” stated a rep for UEFA in a scathing release.
UEFA president Aleksander Čeferin — representing Europe’s 55 national associations — is on the offensive, while Infantino has no intention of yielding, let alone resigning. The FIFA president has backtracked on plans to bring private investment into football and has apologized, yet he is also preparing for a fight.
Elections for the FIFA presidency are scheduled for March 2027. Opponents might attempt to call an emergency congress in November to hold a vote of no confidence against Infantino. UEFA has the backing of CONCACAF — the North American and Caribbean confederation led by Canada’s Victor Montagliani, who’s also a FIFA VP and could emerge as an alternative candidate.
Recently, Infantino convened a meeting with FIFA’s top brass in Salé, near Rabat (Morocco), where he was assured of their continued confidence in him. He told his closest associates: “I have no intention of resigning; I am staying put.”
However, Infantino needs allies. UEFA has the backing of CONCACAF, while Africa and South America stand with Infantino, and Asia is divided — though even its lack of consensus is bad news for Infantino.
The stance taken by the South American Football Confederation could be problematic for CONCACAF and UEFA. Three matches of the 2030 World Cup will be played in Argentina, Uruguay, and Paraguay. Immediately after the conclusion of the recent World Cup, Alejandro Domínguez, president of CONMEBOL, the South American football federation, announced plans to expand the tournament to 64 teams starting with the next edition — a move perfectly aligned with Infantino’s grand, if controversial, ambitions (there were 48 teams in the 2026 World Cup, expanded from the previous 32 teams).
In addition to the privatization of the world’s football, Infantino has been criticized for introducing hydration breaks (to add more TV commercial time to televised matches) and a half-time show, for rescinding a red (expulsion) card from an American player following “input” from U.S. president Donald Trump, for giving Trump a made-up “peace” prize, and for giving severance pay to a reported former lover.
UEFA’s 55 associations lack the numbers on their own to oust Infantino as FIFA president (106 votes out of 211 are required), but UEFA and CONCACAF are actively building alliances, and Victor Montagliani (previously earmarked as a 2031 candidate but now determined to run immediately) could change CONMEBOL’s stance on Infantino.
So far, the South American football leaders have issued this statement: “We are concerned. Institutional mechanisms for approving reforms must be respected. If there is no dialogue, everyone loses.”
Pictured above, Infantino with President Trump
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