FIFA Warns Against Effort To Undermine Infantino As Support Splits

Infantino under fire as FIFA divides

FIFA defends Infantino amid leadership crisis over $4.2bn plan collapse. Infantino retains backing from CAF and CONMEBOL as UEFA calls for resignation.

FIFA hits back at ‘misinformation’ as Infantino’s fourth term bid faces pressure...

FIFA said on Saturday it is pushing back against what it described as a “concerted and ongoing effort” to undermine President Gianni Infantino. The body added that any challenges to his leadership must be made through its statutes and democratic processes.

The statement was issued as tensions over Infantino’s leadership intensify, following the collapse of his plan to raise roughly $4.2 billion by selling a stake in the commercial rights to the World Cup and other tournaments.

  

The proposal drew backlash from UEFA, national federations and senior FIFA officials. It also led to calls for Infantino to step down and prompted a crisis meeting in Morocco this week, where FIFA’s leadership publicly restated its backing for the president.

FIFA did not name the individuals it accused of trying to undermine Infantino, nor did it detail which reports or allegations it was addressing.

The statement came after The Daily Telegraph reported on payments made by UEFA to a former employee during Infantino’s tenure as the European body’s general secretary. Infantino has denied the allegations, and FIFA dismissed them as unfounded.

“The FIFA president was democratically elected by FIFA's member associations and continues ‌to serve with their mandate,” it said.

Member Associations Back Infantino Despite Fallout

FIFA issued an apology to its 211 member associations on Wednesday after a crisis meeting in Morocco over the mishandled proposal. The leadership also confirmed it still gives Infantino its “full support.”

The controversy has clouded Infantino’s campaign for a fourth term at the FIFA Congress in Morocco in March. So far, no obvious rival has come forward to challenge him.

UEFA said it has lost faith in Infantino, and Norwegian Football Federation President Lise Klaveness went further on Friday by calling for his resignation. She said he no longer holds the institutional trust needed to lead FIFA.

But Infantino still holds strong backing across FIFA’s 211 members. The Confederation of African Football (CAF) gave him unanimous support for his leadership on Thursday, while South America’s CONMEBOL said any effort to remove him must go through a vote of all FIFA members.

Mexico’s football federation (FMF) also voiced support for Infantino, even though its regional body CONCACAF had called for a “comprehensive reckoning” with his presidency.

“The ⁠FMF will neither recognise nor approve ⁠any process convened outside of that ‌institutional framework,” the Mexican federation said.

“Those who do not have the support of FIFA's Member Associations should not seek to achieve through allegation, insinuation or misinformation what they cannot achieve through FIFA's established democratic processes,” FIFA said.

FIFA statement, attributable to FIFA spokesperson:

Echoing the recent statements of CONMEBOL and CAF, as well as discussions with FIFA Member Associations and Confederations from around the world, FIFA will not support, facilitate or tolerate any process concerning the election…

— FIFA Media (@fifamedia) August 8, 2026

FIFA said recent media coverage included “unsubstantiated assertions and demonstrably false claims” about the organization and its president. It added that it would push back against inaccurate or misleading reports “directly and vigorously.”

FIFA also stated it would not back, enable or accept any process for electing its president that goes against its statutes, democratic procedures and governance framework.