According to The Guardian, UEFA and other continental football federations are stepping up their search for candidates to run in next year's FIFA presidential election in an attempt to challenge the current president Gianni Infantino's position.
Photo/ FIFA President Gianni Infantino
Previously, Gianni Infantino's proposal to sell part of the World Cup rights to private investors fell through dramatically. Facing strong opposition worldwide, the FIFA president admitted that the project "has caused serious divisions and has deviated from its original purpose."
This plan has sparked a major uproar in the global football world. UEFA threatened to boycott future FIFA events if the plan was not withdrawn. Other continental football federations also voiced their opposition, with Carlos Cordero, a senior advisor to Infantino, resigning on Friday in protest. FIFA Chief Operating Officer Kevin Lamour also harshly criticized Infantino, stating that he showed "serious disrespect" in pushing the plan forward, forcibly pushing it through with almost no consultation.
Various pressures forced Infantino to make concessions. Reports indicate that Thrive Capital, the venture capital firm leading the investment group, also expressed doubts after witnessing the plan nearly tear the football world apart in a week. Infantino's previously secure presidency is now facing a serious challenge, and whether this concession can save his position remains to be seen.
In a statement, Infantino said, "After carefully listening to all sides, I am clearly aware that, regardless of the level of support, the project has caused serious divisions and deviated from its original goals."
"Our initial intention has always been—and always will be—to unite all parties and promote development. Therefore, this proposal will no longer be pursued. In the coming days and weeks, I plan to convene all stakeholders for renegotiation, in the spirit of working together for the common good of football, with the goal of continuing to promote the development of football around the world, especially in those countries that need support the most."
The FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) program, announced earlier this week, aims to raise hundreds of millions of dollars by selling significant commercial rights to the Men's World Cup, Women's World Cup, and Club World Cup to investors. The program promises to allocate "more than $10 billion" (approximately £7.5 billion) to FIFA's 211 member associations and sets a September 19 deadline for member associations to register. Participating associations will receive an optional $20 million (approximately £14.8 million) in funding.
However, the plan was unanimously rejected by European countries, who reached a consensus at an emergency meeting on Thursday. CONCACAF and AFC also expressed their dissatisfaction, with the AFC issuing a strongly worded statement on Friday morning. Despite Infantino's solid support in Africa, he has run out of options, failing to gather the necessary votes to push the plan forward.
Given the widespread backlash within FIFA and the significant damage to Infantino's reputation in other regions, attention has now turned to his future. The Balogun red card incident during the World Cup three weeks ago has already deeply dissatisfied many member associations with his handling of the matter, and withdrawing the proposal is unlikely to change their attitudes. However, some observers point out that using FIFA's approximately $4 billion (about £2.97 billion) reserves to fulfill the FFE commitments might persuade enough football associations to step in and help him out.
It is understood that UEFA and other continental football federations have stepped up their search for candidates to challenge Gianni Infantino in next year's FIFA presidential election, where he was widely believed to easily win a fourth term. Their resolve seems unwavering, while this incident has dealt a devastating blow to Infantino's credibility. Whether he can turn the tide remains to be seen.
