Infantino faces revolt as Irish federation withdraws support

Gianni Infantino's bid for a fourth term as FIFA president faces its most serious challenge yet, as the Football Association of Ireland (FAI) withdrew its support on Thursday, citing concerns over governance and transparency. The FAI's decision follows similar moves by six other European federations, including England and Wales, and comes amid a broader revolt led by UEFA, CONCACAF, and the AFC over his failed plan to sell a stake in the World Cup to private investors. Source: infobae Source: elnacionalve

The crisis

The immediate trigger was FIFA Forward Enterprise, a proposal to sell up to 20% of a new commercial subsidiary managing World Cup rights, valued at $20 billion and backed by JP Morgan and Thrive Eternal. Source: elespanol After UEFA threatened a boycott and CONCACAF and the AFC rejected the plan, Infantino withdrew it on July 31. Source: elespanol However, the three confederations published an open letter on Monday accusing FIFA of breaking trust "through deception" and demanding an independent review. Source: elcaribedr

Support and opposition

Infantino retains backing from the African and South American confederations, as well as from six Arab federations including Morocco and Qatar. Source: eldiado Source: infobae He also received public support from Donald Trump, who called him "fantastic" and said replacing him would be a "terrible error." Source: clarin However, the opposition is growing: Norway's federation has called for his resignation, and a BBC analysis suggests that if UEFA, CONCACAF, and the AFC align their members, they could muster 135 votes against him, exceeding the 106 needed to block his re-election. Source: elespanol

What's next

The election will take place at the FIFA Congress in Rabat on March 18, 2027, with the deadline for candidates set for November 18. Source: eldiado CAF president Patrice Motsepe has urged that the 211 member federations decide Infantino's fate through the electoral process. Source: larepublicaco Victor Montagliani, president of CONCACAF, is seen as a potential challenger. Source: elespanol