We’ve Lost Confidence In FIFA Leadership – UEFA

The Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) has declared that it has completely lost confidence in FIFA President Gianni Infantino following a controversial proposal to create a new FIFA subsidiary to manage competition finances.

Infantino, whose third term as FIFA president ends in March 2027, had proposed the establishment of the FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE). The new entity was expected to oversee competition-related finances and allow outside investors to acquire a minority, non-controlling stake.

According to FIFA, the proposal was aimed at generating an additional $40 million for member confederations. However, it was met with strong opposition from regional football bodies, forcing FIFA to withdraw the plan.

UEFA president Aleksander Čeferin led the criticism, accusing Infantino of abandoning the transparency and governance principles he promised when he was first elected in 2016.

In a statement, UEFA described the proposal as an opaque and poorly handled arrangement that contradicted Infantino’s earlier position that FIFA’s resources belong to national associations rather than the president.

The European body said the withdrawal of the proposal was “a victory for the whole game,” but warned that restoring confidence in FIFA’s leadership would require much more than abandoning the plan.

The Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football (Concacaf) also welcomed FIFA’s decision to drop the proposal to sell a minority private stake linked to the FIFA World Cup.

Concacaf praised its 41 member associations for showing what it called “courage and unity” in defending the long-term integrity and governance of world football.

The confederation criticised the secrecy surrounding the proposal, arguing that a matter involving football’s most valuable asset was advanced without proper transparency, consultation, or due process.

In a strongly worded statement, Concacaf said the episode reflected a pattern of poor governance and leadership and called for a broader reassessment of the current FIFA presidency.