Gianni Infantino has officially scrapped his plan to sell-off stakes in the World Cup but Uefa has come out and declared it has lost confidence in his Fifa presidency after the controversial proposals.
“The current Fifa leadership has not only lost Uefa's confidence but also that of many other members of the football family,” said Uefa in a statement on Saturday morning and claimed “the shabby, back room, opaque deal he hatched and tried to force through were anything but transparent” in a damning missive.
Infantino is now is under mounting pressure from football federations as well as from within Fifa, with his long-term adviser Carlos Cordeiro choosing to quit in protest over Infantino’s initial proposals, while Fifa’s chief operating officer has said that Infantino “deceived” staff over his plans. Questions are beginning to arise as to whether his presidency remains tenable.
Donald Trump meanwhile told reporters on Friday that he had not spoken to Infantino about the plans despite their close relationship and the fact that Josh Kushner, the brother of Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, was expected to lead the proposed investor group.
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Read MoreFifa scraps plan to sell World Cup stakes after boycott threat and widespread backlash
Football has spoken: Gianni Infantino must go
‘Infantino out’ – but who might challenge for Fifa presidency?
Gianni Infantino officially scraps World Cup sell-off plan - live updates
- Fifa officially scraps plans for World Cup sell-off to private investors
- But Gianni Infantino under mounting pressure after confederations turn on him
- Uefa declares loss of confidence in Infantino as Fifa president
- COMMENT: Football has spoken: Gianni Infantino must go
- Who could challenge Infantino for Fifa presidency?
- Trump insists he hadn't discussed World Cup sell-off scheme with Infantino
Football has spoken: Gianni Infantino must go
12:30 , Luke BakerIn the aftermath of the World Cup, despite the many issues that had plagued the tournament in the United States, Mexico and Canada, Gianni Infantino spoke in tones that suggested he felt invincible.
By delivering record revenues and the “most outstanding” World Cup ever, the Fifa president felt emboldened enough to embark on a victory lap, admonishing his critics from within the stronghold of his Fifa palace, while safe in the knowledge that the structures and mechanisms designed to keep him in power were secure.
Barely a week later, the walls around Infantino are crumbling before our eyes. In overplaying his hand and rushing through proposals to sell stakes in the World Cup and Fifa tournaments to private investors, Infantino has crossed a line from which he may not return. Uefa’s extraordinary decision to boycott the World Cup should Infantino have gotten his way led to two more federations, the Asian Football Confederation and Concacaf, rejecting his proposals.
From there, the Swiss-Italian saw the writing on the wall, with more than enough support to comfortably defeat his proposals if a vote had gone ahead, and he officially scrapped his plans in the early hours of Saturday morning.
Jamie Braidwood makes the case for the end of the Infantino era:
Who could challenge Infantino for Fifa presidency?
12:10 , Luke BakerThe Independent’s Will Castle outlines six candidates that could challenge Infantino for Fifa’s presidency.
6) Arsene Wenger
Now this one is a bit of a long shot, but it might be one to watch.
Legendary former Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has become increasingly engrained in the political side of the game in his role as Fifa’s Chief of Global Football Development.
He’s not been scared to try and push through radical change in the past, with his “daylight offside rule” going on trial in Canada earlier this year.
And with some fans now expressing their dismay at his close association with Infantino and therefore this World Cup proposal, could Wenger stand up against the Fifa president to ensure his reputation isn’t sullied?
Who could challenge Infantino for Fifa presidency?
11:55 , Luke BakerThe Independent’s Will Castle outlines six candidates that could challenge Infantino for Fifa’s presidency.
5) Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa
The AFC outwardly opposed Infantino’s plans in a heavy blow for the incumbent Fifa president, losing the support of what was once a loyal stronghold of the Swiss-Italian.
AFC president Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa, a Bahraini football administrator who is also senior vice-president of the Fifa Council, branded Fifa’s lack of consultation with its members as “totally unacceptable” in a letter to the regional body’s 47 member federations on Thursday, a day before the confederation came together to reject the proposal.
That subsequent statement notably called for “an urgent review of its governance” to pile more pressure on Infantino. That begs the question: could Sheikh Salman be a potential challenger?
His term as AFC president comes to an end in 2027.
Who could challenge Infantino for Fifa presidency?
11:40 , Luke BakerThe Independent’s Will Castle outlines six candidates that could challenge Infantino for Fifa’s presidency.
4) Victor Montagliani
Away from Uefa, Concacaf president Montagliani has been rumoured as a potential successor to Infantino, with his ambitions to one day become Fifa president well known.
The Canadian was unanimously re-elected to lead the confederation in 2023 and his current term is set to end in 2027. His primary focus thus far has been to seek re-election again next year.
But according to The i, Montagliani is “making moves” towards expediting his aspirations and challenging Infantino for Fifa’s presidency in next March’s election.
Who could challenge Infantino for Fifa presidency?
11:25 , Luke BakerThe Independent’s Will Castle outlines six candidates that could challenge Infantino for Fifa’s presidency.
3) Dariusz Mioduski
Uefa members are also exploring the possibility of backing Legia Warsaw owner Dariusz Mioduski.
The Polish lawyer has been mooted by senior federation officials within Bosnia and Herzegovina, Norway, Sweden, Germany and Spain, according to talkSPORT.
But as of now, he would not be the preferred candidate in his homeland, with Poland’s FA keen on Al-Khelaifi.
Uefa declares loss of confidence in Gianni Infantino as backlash to cancelled World Cup sell-off plan builds
11:16 , Luke BakerUefa has declared it has lost confidence in the Fifa leadership as president Gianni Infantino faces open revolt over his controversial scheme to sell stakes in the World Cup.
Fifa was forced to climb down on the plans to open the World Cup to private equity investors late on Friday night after backlash from multiple football federations including Uefa, which voted to boycott Fifa tournaments in protest, as well as from within the governing body itself.
Infantino’s long-term adviser Carlos Cordeiro, a key figure within Fifa, chose to quit in protest over the initial proposals, while Fifa’s chief operating officer said that Infantino “deceived” staff over his plans.
Infantino’s position remains under serious threat despite the climbdown, with Uefa announcing on Saturday that it had lost confidence in his leadership and slamming the “shabby, back room” deal.
Full story:
Uefa declares loss of confidence in Fifa president Gianni Infantino
Uefa statement in full
11:07 , Luke BakerHere’s the Uefa statement in full. Damning of Infantino.
The statement read: “It is right that, in the coming days and weeks, Uefa will work with its associations and in close cooperation with other confederations to reflect on how this happened and devise a plan to make sure that it cannot occur again. That review should be thorough and fundamental. No option should be off the table.
“The current Fifa leadership has not only lost Uefa's confidence but also that of many other members of the football family.
“When Gianni Infantino asked for the trust and the votes of Fifa’s Member Associations to elect him as their President in 2016, he said, ‘Of course we have to be transparent. I have been this in the last 15 years of my life in Uefa. You will have to play a part every day in the life of Fifa,’ before telling the assembled stakeholders, ‘The money of Fifa is your money. It’s not the money of the Fifa president. It’s your money. You are the national associations and the money of Fifa has to serve for the development of football and not for anything else.’
“On both these promises, he has failed to deliver. The shabby, back room, opaque deal he hatched and tried to force through were anything but transparent.”
BREAKING: Uefa declares loss of confidence in Infantino
10:54 , Luke BakerAnother blow for Gianni Infantino, with Uefa releasing a statement this morning saying it has lost confidence in the Swiss-Italian as Fifa president after his aborted plan to sell off stakes in the World Cup to private investment.
Uefa threatened to boycott the World Cup if Infantino’s plans went through and he has now been forced to back down.
But Uefa has stated that the “shabby, back-room, opaque deal” he tried to force through has caused it to lose confidence in him.
Who could challenge Infantino for Fifa presidency?
10:50 , Luke BakerThe Independent’s Will Castle outlines six candidates that could challenge Infantino for Fifa’s presidency.
2) Nasser Al-Khelaifi
The Independent understands that Paris Saint-Germain president Al-Khelaifi is currently being mooted as a challenger to Infantino.
Al-Khelaifi, whose primary role is chairman of Qatar Sports Investment, holds many senior positions within the game. After the collapse of the doomed European Super League, he was elevated to the top of the game’s main club body, European Football Clubs, which expressed “serious concern” about Infantino’s sell-off plan.
It’s reported by talkSPORT that multiple Uefa federations, including Belgium and Poland, would back Al-Kehaifi, because they see him as having the best chance of toppling Infantino at next year’s presidential election.
However, Al-Khelaifi would need serious persuading to stand as he currently holds no desire to run for office. A representative for Al-Khelaifi said, via Politico: “Nasser has absolutely no ambition, no intention, no interest in the Fifa role, and he will continue to discreetly support all the institutions of world and European football.”
Who could challenge Infantino for Fifa presidency?
10:35 , Luke BakerThe Independent’s Will Castle outlines six candidates that could challenge Infantino for Fifa’s presidency.
1) Aleksander Ceferin
Calls are growing from Uefa member associations to back a candidate to run against Infantino, and the European governing body’s president Ceferin appears the most qualified.
A rival of Infantino, Ceferin most recently no-showed the World Cup 2026 final after the tournament was plagued by controversy, most notably the suspension of Folarin Balogun’s red card ban following a “review” request from Trump, which Uefa said “crossed a red line”.
The Slovenian lawyer has been incumbent since 2016 but is reportedly keen to continue in his current role. He had initially ruled out standing for a third term next spring, at least until 2031, but is now willing to seek re-election if no other candidates step forward.
As things stand, it appears he is not eager to challenge Infantino for Fifa’s presidency, which has led Uefa members to look elsewhere.
Trust in Infantino 'badly shaken' says Uefa vice prsident
10:20 , Luke BakerUefa vice president Laura McAllister has hit out at Gianni Infantino for his World Cup sell-off plan and says trust in the Fifa boss has been “badly shaken”.
Speaking on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, McAllister said: “It’s not for me to speak for for Uefa at this moment in time, but I think trust in the president of Fifa has been badly shaken this week, without a doubt, and I think quite rightly, people will ask questions about whether he is the leader to take us forward as a global football organisation.
“Because we have to stick to the ethical principles of sustainability, fair play, and accessibility to football that really motivate us all. So I think those are the questions that all of us involved in football will be asking now.”
Asked if she could envision circumstances in which Uefa might find a challenger to him to stand against him, she said: “I think all of the confederations would be considering options now for sure, and we’ll certainly be doing that in Uefa.
“But you know, it’s a democratic election. If people want to stand, they will, and there will be moves, I’m sure, to encourage people to stand. But I think it’s early days yet.”
She later added: “Interestingly, I don’t think the sport of football is damaged by what’s happened this week. I think Fifa as an organisation, is, and I think the president is.”
‘Infantino out’ - but who could challenge for Fifa presidency?
10:05 , Luke BakerInfantino’s future as Fifa president is up in the air, with many demanding that he resign the role. But who might actually be able to replace him?
Will Castle has examined the contenders:
‘Infantino out’ - but who could challenge for Fifa presidency?
Infantino's senior adviser quits in protest at World Cup plan
09:55 , Luke BakerGianni Infantino’s senior adviser Carlos Cordeiro quit on Friday, only adding to the pressure on the Fifa president.
Cordeiro, in announcing his departure, described the initiative to create Fifa Forward Enterprise as a "bad deal for football".
He elaborated in a statement: "Football has been central to my life and after more than 35 years in banking, I understand both the value of this asset and the consequences of giving part of it away. That is why this proposal should be rejected."
Gianni Infantino's statement in full
09:42 , Luke BakerHere’s Gianni Infantino’s full statement backing down from his World Cup sell-off plan:
“The Fifa Forward Enterprise project was intended to provide a basis for further strengthening our Fifa Member Associations and our sport worldwide, especially in those countries where support is most needed. And more so, as we said from the outset, to do this only if a majority of the Fifa Member Associations were in support and always subject to a consultation process with them, the FIFA Council, the Confederations and wider stakeholders.
“Having listened carefully to all the views, it has become clear that the project has created divisions of a nature that, regardless of the level of support, are no longer in the interest of the objective set out in the first place.
“Our purpose has always been - and will always be - to unite and improve. As a result, this proposal will not proceed.
“Moving forward, my intent is to bring all interested parties back together in the coming days and weeks in the spirit of shared interest in our game, and with the objective to continue growing football everywhere, particularly in those countries that mostly need our support.”
Trump denies knowing about Infantino's sell-off plans
09:30 , Luke BakerUS President Donald Trump has denied discussing FIFA's proposals to offer stakes to external investors with Gianni Infantino.
Speaking to reporters at Camp David, Mr Trump addressed the matter after Fufa announced earlier this week its intention to create a $20bn subsidiary to run the World Cup and its other events, although this plan has since collapsed.
This new subsidiary would have offered up to 20 per cent of its shares to outside investors and the proposed investor group was set to be led by a vehicle founded by Joshua Kushner, brother of President Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner.
The denial comes amid a close relationship between Mr Trump and Fifa president Mr Infantino, which developed before and during the World Cup this summer.
Football chiefs discuss vote of no confidence as Infantino under increasing threat
09:26 , Miguel DelaneyFootball chiefs will consider whether to push for a vote of no confidence in Gianni Infantino following the controversy over his World Cup sell-off plan.
Federation chiefs have already started talking about the process of a vote of no confidence, which would first necessitate a meeting of the Fifa Council and then 43 member associations – a quarter of the 211 – to push for an Extraordinary Congress.
Before that, though, everyone is waiting to see how the dust settles. Football chiefs have felt it’s all been happening too fast to even properly register.
Fifa COO says administration 'deceived' by plans
09:18 , Luke BakerKevin Lamour, Fifa’s chief operating officer and about as high up as you can get in the organisation, just two rungs below Infantino, released an explosive statement condemning the plans on Friday.
He said in a statement to Associated Press: “What has been announced in recent days and what has been happening behind the scenes in recent months defies belief and imagination.
“It is becoming increasingly difficult for Fifa's administration to work under these conditions and fulfil its mission.
“I have no authority to speak on behalf of my colleagues, and perhaps I am mistaken. But my feeling is that we all want to be proud to work for Fifa, and today, unfortunately, it seems that is no longer the case for many of us.
“I know I have a duty of loyalty to my employer. But I also, and above all, have a duty of loyalty to certain values and to support my colleagues."
Football has spoken: Gianni Infantino must go
09:16 , Luke BakerFifa’s president operates with arrogance and autonomy – the worldwide rejection of his proposals to sell off stakes in the World Cup has to now stand for as a final rejection of Infantino himself, writes Jamie Braidwood.
Football has spoken: Gianni Infantino must go
CONFIRMED: Fifa scraps plan to sell World Cup stakes after boycott threat and widespread backlash
09:15 , Miguel DelaneyFifa has scrapped its plan to sell stakes in the World Cup and other tournaments to private investors, after widespread backlash and threats of a boycott.
Fifa president Gianni Infantino proposed the controversial plan in July, declaring that a vote would determine whether or not it would go ahead, but there was anger and concern from many voices in the footballing world, while Uefa said its member countries would boycott the World Cup if the plan went through
Full story:
Fifa scraps plans to sell World Cup stake after boycott threat and immense backlash
Fifa scraps World Cup sell-off plan
09:14 , Luke BakerGood morning and welcome to the latest on Fifa’s World Cup sell-off plan, which Gianni Infantino officially scrapped last night after coming under huge pressure.
We’ll have all the latest updates and keep n eye on what could come next
