UEFA says it has lost confidence in FIFA President Gianni Infantino

UEFA says it has lost confidence in FIFA President Gianni Infantino

UEFA has announced it has lost confidence in FIFA President Gianni Infantino following the collapse of a plan to sell stakes in the World Cup to private equity investors. The European football governing body stated on Saturday, August 1, 2026, that no option should be off the table as it seeks a thorough and fundamental review of the incident.

The controversy centered on a proposal to create a $20 billion company to manage the commercial and operational aspects of competitions, including the men's and women's World Cups. The plan would have involved selling a 20 per cent stake in these competitions to third-party investors. Thrive Capital, a venture capital firm led by Joshua Kushner, was poised to lead the $4.2 billion deal with JPMorgan acting as advisor.

The proposal triggered an open revolt from football governing bodies, fans, and heads of state. UEFA's 55 member nations unanimously voted to boycott the next World Cup if the plans proceeded. Such a move would have removed top talent from Italy, Germany, France, Spain, and England, which sources told the New York Post effectively gutted the value of the deal for broadcasters and sponsors.

By early Saturday, Infantino was forced to scrap the plan. In a statement, the FIFA president admitted the project had created divisions and was no longer in the interest of the objective set out in the first place. He described the "Fifa Forward Enterprise" project as an attempt to strengthen Member Associations, particularly in countries needing the most support.

UEFA's reaction was scathing, labeling the proposal a shabby, back room, opaque deal and criticizing secret schemes on fast track timescales, cooked up by faceless individuals and of dubious benefit to the game. The organization stated that the current FIFA leadership has lost the confidence of UEFA and many other members of the football family.

Internal instability at FIFA mirrored the external backlash. A string of resignations occurred on Friday, including chief operating officer Kevin Lamour and senior adviser Carlos Cordeiro, who also sat on a White House panel. Lamour described the scheme as the project of one person and a lie by omission over many months.

Lamour further asserted that FIFA's own administration had been deceived and that the unilateral exercise of power indicated a lack of trust, a lack of transparency, a lack of discernment, a lack of good governance and a serious lack of respect.

Political figures also weighed in. Prime Minister Andy Burnham called the sell-off outrageous, arguing that the beautiful game should not be for sale. He stated the suggestion showed that Infantino is the wrong man to lead the organisation.

While the Asian Football Confederation and Football Australia welcomed the U-turn, other officials remained wary. Simon Astrom, chairman of the Swedish FA, cited ongoing concerns regarding deficiencies in transparency and governance.

The fallout now moves toward a period of reflection and potential political challenge. Laura McAllister, UEFA vice-president, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that trust in the president has been badly shaken and that people will ask if he is the right leader for the global organization. When asked about the upcoming FIFA election in March, McAllister noted that confederations would be considering options and there would likely be moves to encourage challengers to stand.

Infantino stated his intent is to bring interested parties back together in the coming days and weeks. Meanwhile, UEFA intends to work with its associations and other confederations to devise a plan to ensure such a scenario cannot occur again.