FIFA speaks out strongly against what they call a planned effort to ‘undermine’ Gianni Infantino in a clear and firm message.
FIFA has released a strong message saying the media is making a planned and ongoing effort to damage the organisation and its president, Gianni Infantino.
Recently, FIFA and Infantino faced criticism after suggesting they might sell shares in big tournaments like the World Cup to private investors. This idea, called FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE), was quickly taken back after worldwide backlash. Groups like the FA and UEFA spoke out against it and called for a review of FIFA’s leadership.
UEFA has reportedly lost trust in Infantino, and the Norwegian Football Association even wants him to step down. UEFA also threatened to skip FIFA tournaments, and this is still on the table even after FIFA dropped the FFE plan.
On the other hand, the Mexico Football Federation supports Infantino, and South America’s CONMEBOL made it clear they would only remove him through a vote involving all 211 FIFA members. All 54 African countries under CAF also back the Swiss-Italian president.
Adding to the drama, on August 7, The Telegraph reported that Infantino had an affair with an employee while he was UEFA’s general secretary, saying the organisation gave her money to leave. FIFA responded saying Infantino “strongly denies” these claims and calls them “completely untrue.”
Then, on August 8, FIFA put out a long statement condemning “false claims” and saying speculation shouldn’t be treated as fact. They said some people trying to hurt FIFA and Infantino don’t have support from FIFA’s members and are trying to win through rumors instead of proper processes.
The statement highlighted Infantino’s 30+ years working in football, helping bring positive changes and new opportunities worldwide. While change can upset some, it’s no reason to try to undermine the president or FIFA itself. FIFA welcomes honest criticism but won’t allow false stories to distract from their mission to strengthen football globally.
Looking ahead, the next FIFA presidential election will be in Rabat, Morocco, in March 2027.