FIFA President Gianni Infantino faces calls to resign

European leaders demand resignation over governance concerns

European football leaders continue to demand that Gianni Infantino resign from his position following his apology for not informing the council about his plans earlier. FA chair Debbie Hewitt is among the delegates who have demanded the immediate resignation of the FIFA president.

The Football Association has withdrawn its support for Infantino. UEFA’s position opposing the president remains unchanged, as European football representatives characterised secret decision-making as a violation of governance ethics and transparency standards.

Infantino has held the position of FIFA president since February 2016. Despite the apology, the FA chair maintains her position on his leadership.

FA chair Debbie Hewitt questions Infantino's fitness to govern

The heads of the English and German Football Associations questioned Gianni Infantino's fitness to govern following the council meeting.

FA chair Debbie Hewitt told reporters that the president is "not fit to be Fifa president" because he failed to answer questions from critics during the session. The Football Association withdrew their support for Infantino following a loss of confidence in his leadership.

Unanswered questions regarding Balogun and Peace Prize

Gianni Infantino failed to provide answers to questions from European FAs regarding the FIFA Forward Enterprise proposal, Donald Trump’s FIFA peace prize, and the Folarin Balogun affair. FA chair Debbie Hewitt wrote to Infantino last month calling for an independent review of the FIFA’s handling of the Balogun case and the World Cup investment deal.

The FIFA president also faced scrutiny over the decision to suspend the one-match ban of USA striker Folarin Balogun during the World Cup. US President Donald Trump acknowledged contacting Infantino to request a review of the red card shown to Balogun against Bosnia and Herzegovina, and FIFA subsequently paused the suspension.

Hewitt stated that Infantino did not answer questions regarding his involvement in overturning that suspension. The FIFA Peace Prize awarded to Donald Trump is expected to be revoked.

Infantino also faced questions about the reasons for an additional £1.3m fee he received in 2024 on top of his FIFA salary.

Details of the abandoned FIFA Forward Enterprise proposal

After the summer’s World Cup, Infantino abandoned a controversial plan to sell a stake in future World Cup profits to private-equity investors after fierce opposition from governing bodies. FIFA had sought to launch the FIFA Forward Enterprise, which would combine the sale of commercial rights with the operational delivery of its tournaments.

Infantino gave football associations until 19 September to back his proposals to sell off part of FIFA to private investors, offering a £30.1m incentive to accept. The meeting in Zurich on 15 October was the Council’s first official gathering since details of the FFE plan emerged in July.

Hewitt said Infantino apologised for not sharing the plan with members before details were reported by The Times in the week following the World Cup final. UEFA believes the proposed 20 per cent stake in all future FIFA tournaments was being sold for a "knockdown price" and has requested that Infantino release all documents relating to the plan.

During the meeting, Hewitt demanded that Infantino share the papers, stating, "if there’s nothing to hide, then share them with us". Infantino promised to provide the requested information after receiving the questions in writing.

Although he promised to provide the documents, members had received no substantive answers to their questions. Hewitt said she believed he regretted the decision, but the meeting had not changed her position on his leadership.

Broad opposition from UEFA, AFC and Concacaf

UEFA led calls for the FIFA president to step down, with further opposition reported from the Asian Football Confederation and Concacaf. The controversial proposals received fierce criticism from UEFA, Concacaf and the Asian Football Confederation.

Upcoming FIFA presidential election in March

Gianni Infantino is planning to stand for re-election in March. He is hoping to be re-elected for a fourth term next year, aiming to avoid a challenger for the third election in a row.

UEFA intends to put forward a candidate to challenge him for the presidency. Anyone who wants to take on Infantino has until 18 November to declare their candidacy.

It may be in the best interests of challengers to declare their intention to stand as late as possible to give the incumbent less time to prepare. Potential candidates mentioned include Arsène Wenger, Luis Figo and Michelle Kang.

Former Arsenal manager Arsène Wenger has shown no interest so far in leading FIFA. Wenger has been working as FIFA’s global football development chief since 2019, having been appointed by Infantino.

He released a statement in August criticising the plan to sell off a stake in the World Cup. Luis Figo launched a scathing attack on Infantino in a newspaper column, calling for his resignation in the wake of the World Cup sell-off scandal.

His role as a UEFA adviser since 2017 could make it harder for him to secure the votes needed from football associations worldwide. Michelle Kang, owner of Lyon, London City Lionesses and Washington Spirit, has been mentioned as a potential challenger, but there have been no indications that she is preparing to take on Infantino.

Infantino believes he still has enough support worldwide to win the election in Morocco in March. He outlined his plans for reform within FIFA last month.