GENEVA (AP) 鈥� Successfully stopping Gianni Infantino鈥檚 FIFA plan to private investors was the first half of a high-stakes game in global soccer politics.
The second half kicked off Saturday with what seemed a clear aim of ending Infantino鈥檚 decade-long presidency.
鈥淣o option should be off the table,鈥� said European soccer body UEFA, whose president Aleksander 膶eferin has led the fight against Infantino in a seismic week for FIFA.
鈥淭he current FIFA leadership has not only lost UEFA鈥檚 confidence but also that of many other members of the football family.鈥�
Later Saturday, the governing body for North and Central American and Caribbean soccer (CONCACAF) called for accountability, saying: 鈥淎 (World Cup) proposal of this magnitude does not reach that stage by accident. It is a symptom of leadership that has stopped putting football first. This recent unilateral and egregious act of poor governance and leadership follows a pattern of missteps and similar behavior. A full review of this leadership must now take place.鈥�
Infantino had proposed creating a $20 billion company to run the with private investors but drew backlash that grew every day since Tuesday鈥檚 announcement.
Infantino was forced to scrap the plan early Saturday after his and Asia鈥檚 soccer body joined Europe and North America in opposing it.
UEFA’s blistering statement
UEFA, the governing body of European soccer, issued its blistering statement hours after FIFA announced it was withdrawing its private equity plan.
鈥淲e 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,” UEFA said. 鈥淲e must identify those responsible and hold them to account.
鈥淚t is right that, in the coming days and weeks, UEFA will work with its associations and in close cooperation with other confederations to reflect on how this happened and devise a plan to make sure that it cannot occur again.鈥�
Norwegian soccer federation president , an elected member of the UEFA executive committee, said steps must be taken to protect the integrity of the sport.
鈥淭he entire framework of international football cooperation was unnecessarily put at risk in pursuit of individual interests rather than the best interests of the game,鈥� Klaveness said Saturday. 鈥漈his has been visible to many for a long time, including those of us elected to positions intended to safeguard checks and balances and provide ongoing oversight. We have to recognize that these mechanisms have not worked well enough.鈥�
The president of the Asian soccer confederation, Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa, said 鈥渢he future of global football must always be shaped through proper consultation, collective dialogue and respect for the established governance structures of our game.”
Infantino’ audacious bid fell apart after UEFA鈥檚 55-member nations agreed Thursday to boycott the World Cup and all other FIFA competitions. CONCACAF and the Asian Football Confederation also said they opposed the plan.
CONCACAF’s statement added that FIFA leaders have 鈥渁 duty of service over power. Where that duty is not upheld, accountability cannot be optional.鈥�
FIFA’s internal revolt
There was also an internal revolt.
Infantino鈥檚 senior adviser, , a former Goldman Sachs banker who represented the soccer body on the White House Task Force for the , resigned on Friday and urged other senior FIFA staff to speak out.
Hours later, FIFA chief operating officer Kevin Lamour issued a statement to The Associated Press, saying FIFA staff were deceived by Infantino鈥檚 lack of openness in planning the sale over recent months and that the project must not continue.
鈥淚t is the project of one person,鈥� wrote Lamour, a longtime colleague of Infantino at both FIFA and UEFA. 鈥淣ot only must this project not go ahead 鈥� but the time has now come for football political leaders to ask themselves the right questions and make the right decisions.鈥�
Infantino had proposed spinning off FIFA鈥檚 commercial businesses 鈥� including World Cups and Club World Cups for men and women 鈥� into a $20 billion subsidiary with 20% owned by private investors.
The 鈥渁nchor investor,鈥� described by FIFA, is a New York-based investment firm launched by Joshua Kushner, the younger brother of U.S. President Donald Trump鈥檚 son-in-law, Jared Kushner.
This is not Infantino’s first big plan to flop
A tumultuous week in international soccer is at least the third time Infantino has rocked it with an ambitious plan many in the sport saw as reckless.
But the fallout from FIFA鈥檚 Kushner-backed plan is the first time UEFA has acted quickly to create momentum for removing the man who was its former long-time employee.
In 2018, Infantino pushed a secretive offer of $25 billion from Japan鈥檚 SoftBank to create new competitions, that posed a long-term risk to continental events for clubs and national teams.
In 2021, Infantino proposed playing World Cups every two years instead of four 鈥� an idea that also angered the International Olympic Committee where he is an elected member.
Both plans created big rifts in the sport and were eventually dropped by FIFA.
Despite the turmoil, Infantino was re-elected unopposed in 2019 and 2023.
The third time shapes to be different.
Here is the calendar for the FIFA presidency
Nov. 18 is the deadline for candidates to enter the next presidential contest, exactly four months ahead of the vote in Rabat, Morocco, where FIFA has its African headquarters.
FIFA statutes allow Infantino one more four-year term in office. The failed spinoff venture seemed like a way to create a commissioner-like role for Infantino beyond 2031, likely paying much more than his current annual salary and a bonus deal of more than $6 million.
It would take 106 votes to ensure a majority in a contested election. Continents surely do not vote uniformly en bloc, but most of Europe鈥檚 55, plus Asia鈥檚 46 and CONCACAF鈥檚 35 FIFA members would be a solid base.
The Qatar FA issued a statement in support of Infantino on Saturday.
Its president, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa bin Ahmed Al Thani, said: 鈥淲e welcome FIFA President Gianni Infantino鈥檚 decision to withdraw the FIFA Forward Enterprise proposal in the interest of the global football community.
“While the proposal had merit, we applaud the wisdom behind prioritising unity among Member Associations. The Qatar Football Association fully supports President Infantino鈥檚 efforts to continue growing and strengthening the game globally.鈥�
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Associated Press writer Joseph Wilson contributed to this report from Barcelona, Spain.
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