UEFA demands Infantino’s immediate resignation, threatens no-confidence vote
FIFA president Gianni Infantino
Abdullateef Fowewe
UEFA has told FIFA president Gianni Infantino to step down immediately, warning that it will trigger a formal vote of no confidence if he refuses to quit.
The European governing body says it has “lost confidence” in Infantino’s leadership after his push to sell stakes in the World Cup and other tournaments to private investors sparked a global backlash that forced FIFA to scrap the plan.
FIFA’s proposal to create a $20bn commercial vehicle—FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) and sell up to a 20% stake to private investors, including World Cup media and sponsorship rights, was met with immediate outrage from UEFA, CONCACAF, the Asian Football Confederation, national FAs, politicians and fans.
Reacting, all 55 UEFA member associations unanimously opposed the initiative, with Europe’s football body accusing FIFA of trying to “sell the soul of football” and warning of a boycott if the plan proceeded.
Under pressure, FIFA announced it would not proceed with the FFE deal, but the damage to Infantino’s standing had already been done.
On Saturday, UEFA stated it had lost confidence in Infantino and demanded his immediate resignation, saying it would initiate a no-confidence vote if he did not step down voluntarily.
Under FIFA statutes, a no-confidence motion can be triggered if at least 20% of FIFA’s 211 member associations roughly 43 nations support calling the vote.
UEFA says all 55 of its members are ready to back the motion, putting Infantino’s presidency under acute threat even after the commercial plan was withdrawn.
