Kenneth Glad
The dispute has drawn football authorities and player representatives into a broader debate over leadership and accountability. Public criticism is growing, although formal action remains difficult.
FIFA president Gianni Infantino is facing stronger opposition from European football officials after the collapse of the FIFA Forward Enterprise proposal.
UEFA rejected FIFA’s response to the controversy, saying that withdrawing plans to sell stakes in major competitions did not settle its concerns. According to BBC Sport, the European governing body also wants guarantees that similar proposals will not be pursued again.
The English Football Association has withdrawn its support for Infantino. UEFA has also said that a boycott of FIFA competitions, including the World Cup, remains possible.
Infantino’s opponents now need to prove that they can find enough support within FIFA to move beyond public criticism.
Council support remains out of reach
The 37-member FIFA Council includes Infantino, the six confederation presidents and representatives of national associations.
Nineteen members would need to support an emergency meeting. BBC Sport writes that UEFA may be able to secure 16 or 17 votes, leaving it short of the required number.
That arithmetic gives Infantino significant protection. UEFA needs allies from outside Europe, while officials and football associations from several countries in other regions have publicly backed the president.
CONMEBOL’s position further reduces the prospect of immediate action. South American football’s governing body welcomed the withdrawal of the investment proposal but declined to support an extraordinary congress on Infantino’s future.
The confederation said any leadership contest should take place through FIFA’s established election process. Candidates must declare by 18 November 2026 ahead of the 2027 FIFA Congress.
CONMEBOL’s position shows that opposition to the proposal does not necessarily mean support for removing Infantino before the scheduled election.
Players seek permanent safeguards
FIFPRO, the international players’ union, said cancelling the FIFA Forward Enterprise plan did not address the way it had been developed:
“The withdrawal of FFE was inevitable. But withdrawing the proposal does not erase what it revealed.”
According to the union’s statement, major decisions affecting professional football should not be prepared without formal consultation with players and other recognised stakeholders.
FIFPRO wants legally binding engagement over competition expansion, the international match calendar and other policies with major consequences for players, clubs and leagues.
Its proposals also include voting rights for professional football stakeholders on the FIFA Council and a formally recognised role for the union as the global representative of players.
FIFPRO’s demands are aimed not only at Infantino, but also at the system through which FIFA makes important commercial and sporting decisions.
Regional backing protects Infantino
Infantino continues to receive public support from some officials outside Europe.
Gambia Football Federation president Lamin Kaba Bajo told BBC Sport: “He is here to stay.”
Bajo said his federation remained behind Infantino and suggested that other African associations shared that position. His comments underline the difficulty UEFA faces in building a cross-regional coalition.
Unless more council members change position, the dispute is likely to shift toward the scheduled 2027 election, the route favoured by CONMEBOL.
The collapse of the investment proposal and the English FA’s withdrawal of support have weakened Infantino politically. However, the available council numbers suggest that an immediate formal challenge remains unlikely.
Sources: BBC Sport, UEFA, FIFPRO
