UEFA loses confidence in FIFA chief Infantino after World Cup plan fails

UEFA loses confidence in FIFA chief Infantino after World Cup plan fails

UEFA has declared that it has lost confidence in FIFA President Gianni Infantino following the collapse of a proposal to sell stakes in the World Cup to private investors. The European football governing body characterized the initiative as a shabby, back room, opaque deal and suggested that the FIFA chief has lost the trust of the wider football community.

The controversy centers on a plan to create a $20 billion company to manage the commercial and operational aspects of competitions, including the men's and women's World Cups. According to the proposal, private investors would have owned 20% of this subsidiary. The "anchor investor" for the venture was described by FIFA as a New York-based investment firm launched by Joshua Kushner, the brother of Jared Kushner.

Pressure on the FIFA leadership peaked after the plan was rejected by three continental confederations. UEFA’s 55-member nations agreed on Thursday to boycott the World Cup and all other FIFA competitions if the project proceeded. This opposition was joined by North America’s CONCACAF and the Asian Football Confederation.

The internal collapse of the plan was marked by high-level resignations within FIFA. Senior adviser Carlos Cordeiro, a former Goldman Sachs banker who represented FIFA on a White House panel, resigned on Friday. Hours later, chief operating officer Kevin Lamour also resigned, stating that FIFA staff had been deceived by a lack of openness. Lamour described the investment plan in a statement as a project of one person.

Early Saturday, Infantino backtracked on the proposal. He stated that the project would not proceed because it had created divisions that were no longer in the interest of the original objectives.

The political fallout has extended beyond the sport. Prime Minister Andy Burnham called the plans outrageous and asserted that the move made it clear Infantino was the wrong man to lead the organisation. While he later called the decision to scrap the plan the right decision, Shadow culture secretary Nigel Huddleston said the proposal raised serious questions about his judgement and his fitness to lead Fifa.

UEFA and other bodies are now calling for accountability. In a statement issued Saturday, UEFA said:

"We cannot keep going on like this with secret schemes on fast-track timescales, cooked up by faceless individuals and of dubious benefit to the game. We must identify those responsible and hold them to account."

UEFA, via greenocktelegraph.co.uk

The governing body stated it will work with associations and other confederations in the coming weeks to reflect on the event and devise a plan to prevent a recurrence. UEFA emphasized that no option should be off the table during this review.

Other leaders echoed these concerns. Lise Klaveness, president of the Norwegian soccer federation and a UEFA executive committee member, said the integrity of the sport was put at risk in pursuit of individual interests. She noted that existing oversight mechanisms have not worked well enough. Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa, president of the Asian soccer confederation, added that the future of the game must be shaped through collective dialogue and respect for governance structures.

This failure follows a history of ambitious and controversial proposals from Infantino. In 2018, he pushed a $25 billion offer from SoftBank to create new competitions, and in 2021, he proposed holding the World Cup every two years. Both plans were eventually dropped.

The current crisis comes as the window for the next presidential contest opens. The deadline for candidates to enter the race is November 18, with the vote taking place four months later in Rabat, Morocco. While Infantino was re-elected unopposed in 2019 and 2023, and is eligible for one more four-year term, the failure of the spinoff venture has intensified calls for a leadership change. A contested election would require 106 votes for a majority, with a potential base of support including members from Europe, Asia, and North America.