Gianni Infantino‘s tenure as FIFA president is becoming increasingly precarious as member associations start to retract their endorsement for his re-election following his poorly executed attempt to privatize the World Cup.
Infantino’s proposal to sell stakes in the World Cup to private investors under the FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) faced fierce opposition from football federations, with UEFA threatening to boycott FIFA events if the initiative proceeded.
The backlash forced Infantino to reconsider, but the situation remains unresolved. Several football organizations have expressed that they have “lost confidence” in his ability as president, prompting the Asian Football Confederation to call for an urgent review of FIFA’s governance.
Before retracting his initial plans, significant figures within FIFA turned against Infantino. His longtime advisor, Carlos Cordeiro, chose to resign in protest over the proposals, while FIFA’s chief operating officer accused Infantino of “deceiving” staff regarding his intentions.
UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham reiterated his stance that Infantino is “not the right person for the job”, a position echoed by the official withdrawal of support from federations such as the Welsh and Swedish FA, with England likely to follow suit.
Despite increasing calls for his resignation, Infantino is not expected to step down, and federations are now seeking to remove the embattled president, with upcoming dates critical to the future direction of the football governing body.
Key dates that could impact Infantino’s presidency are as follows:
14 August: FIFA will decide on the findings of an independent agency’s investigation into a 64-team World Cup.
A report indicating the proposed expansion of FIFA’s World Cup emerged amid the privatization debate, suggesting an independent review of this format for the 2030 iteration.
FIFA is expected to receive proposals by 7 August and make a decision by 14 August, with analysis due by 11 September—just days before member associations are scheduled to vote on FFE, before plans were ultimately dropped.
While the timing may seem to coincide with the privatization controversy—an expanded tournament would greatly enhance commercial viability—it could also gain Infantino support from smaller nations seeking improved chances to qualify.
The World Cup may see further expansion following the first 48-team tournament in 2026 (Getty)
23 September: Deadline for the agenda of the Extraordinary Congress, scheduled two months later. This could include a vote of no confidence, pending procedural requirements by this date.
UEFA is assessing the possibility of its national associations initiating a vote of no confidence in Infantino, requiring action from just 43 associations.
However, a significant push to unseat Infantino likely hinges on determining sufficient support among FIFA’s 211 members.
This creates a race against time to garner enough opposition.
Gianni Infantino may face a vote of no confidence (PA)
18 November: Deadline for nominations for FIFA presidential candidates.
Potential challengers to Infantino must submit their bids by this date for the election in March 2027. Currently, no candidates have publicly announced their intention to run against him.
There are discussions about whether UEFA president Alexander Ceferin and Qatar Sports Investment chairman Nasser Al-Khelaifi might consider a run, though neither seems inclined to enter the race.
Conversely, it seems that Concacaf president Victor Montagliani, who serves as a current FIFA vice-president, may be willing to advance his ambitions for the presidency, although he has not made any official declarations.
Concacaf president Montagliani is seen as a potential contender to Infantino (Getty)
23 November: Extraordinary Congress is scheduled to convene.
If included in the agenda by the September deadline, this meeting could serve as the venue for a vote of no confidence.
If a simple majority of the votes cast support the motion, Infantino would be ousted from power. There are 211 member associations, each one holding a single vote.
A vote of no confidence could take place at the Extraordinary Congress, if included in the agenda (Reuters)
18 March 2027: The FIFA presidential election will occur during the 77th FIFA Congress in Rabat, Morocco.
If Infantino successfully avoids being removed via a no-confidence vote, his presidency will be challenged when he runs for re-election in March. This is contingent upon there being a competing candidate, as he was the sole participant in the presidential race back in 2023.