MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Infantino opponents threaten non-cooperation with FIFA unless he resigns

The scope of that non-cooperation has not been defined. One senior figure told the broadcaster a refusal to take part in FIFA meetings could be expected

Officials opposed to FIFA president Gianni Infantino are considering withdrawing cooperation with the governing body for as long as he remains in office, according to UEFA sources cited by the BBC, as the fallout deepens over the plan to open a commercial subsidiary handling the rights to its tournaments to private investors.

The scope of that non-cooperation has not been defined. One senior figure told the broadcaster a refusal to take part in FIFA meetings could be expected. Others involved say there is no going back while Infantino remains in place.

FIFA withdrew the project, known as FIFA Forward Enterprise, on Saturday, August 1, hours after Conmebol issued a statement seeking clarification without taking a position. The South American body was the last of the six confederations to respond, following rejections from UEFA, Concacaf and the Asian Football Confederation. Infantino said all views had been heard and that the initiative would not proceed.

The withdrawal did not end the dispute. UEFA sent a letter warning that it is weighing legal action, arbitration or regulatory complaints, and demanding the preservation of all documentation linked to the project, including emails, instant messaging and meeting notes, regardless of internal deletion policies. UEFA vice-president Laura McAllister described the governance process behind the initiative as deficient and said she hoped for a change of leadership next year.

Two statutory routes exist to force a departure. An emergency meeting of the FIFA Council requires a request from 19 of its 37 members and must be held within two weeks; UEFA holds nine seats, the AFC seven, Africa six, Concacaf five, Conmebol five and Oceania three, alongside Infantino and Secretary General Mattias Grafström. Separately, and according to The Telegraph, UEFA is prepared to pursue a no-confidence motion, which would need the backing of 43 associations.

Wales was the first country to publicly withdraw support for Infantino's bid for a fourth term; Serbia, Sweden and Finland followed, and the English Football Association is expected to do the same. Morocco, Qatar, Lebanon, Kuwait and Sri Lanka have pledged support for his continuation. The election takes place in March 2027 and requires 106 of the 211 votes: UEFA holds 55, Africa 54, Asia 46, Concacaf 35, Oceania 11 and Conmebol 10.

Figures on the project vary by source. The BBC reports that Infantino offered associations 40 million dollars, with an initial 20 million if they accepted before September 19; other coverage puts at 4.2 billion dollars the capital being sought. The investor group was reportedly to be led by the New York firm founded by Joshua Kushner, brother of the US president's son-in-law. Infantino's senior adviser, Carlos Cordeiro, resigned on July 31.