FIFA: after its victory over the FFE project, UEFA now targets Infantino's governance

A removal on the horizon?

World Today at 07:00

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FIFA: after its victory over the FFE project, UEFA now targets Infantino's governance

UEFA is savoring its triumph after the withdrawal of the FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) project, but its offensive continues. In a statement released this Saturday, August 1, the European body made it clear that the conflict with FIFA does not end with the abandonment of this controversial reform. On the contrary, the organization led by Aleksander Čeferin now seems to be shifting the debate to a broader issue: the governance of Gianni Infantino.

UEFA has expressed its satisfaction following the withdrawal of the plan to sell a stake in the World Cup to private investors. However, the organization has launched a scathing indictment against the way FIFA is being run. This shift in tone could have a significant impact on the political balance just months ahead of the FIFA presidential election scheduled for March 2027.

A crisis that now goes beyond the FFE project

In its statement, UEFA thanked federations, leagues, clubs, players, and political leaders who rallied against the FFE project. The European body believes this collective opposition prevented a reform it saw as contrary to the interests of global football.

But the most striking part comes when UEFA states that “the current FIFA leadership has lost the trust not only of UEFA, but also of many other members of the football family.”

This declaration marks a turning point. Until now, criticism was mainly aimed at the partial privatization of FIFA competitions. Now, the very governance of Gianni Infantino is under fire.

Reminding Gianni Infantino of the promises from 2016

UEFA is not content to criticize the process that led to the FFE project. It also recalls the commitments made by Gianni Infantino during his 2016 campaign for the FIFA presidency.

The organization points out that he promised transparent governance, ongoing involvement of member associations in FIFA decisions, and financial management focused exclusively on the development of football.

According to UEFA, these promises have not been kept. The FFE project, it claims, was developed in secrecy, without real consultation with federations, and directly contradicted the transparency principles championed by its president a decade ago.

The organization also highlights that FIFA holds more than $5 billion in reserves and argues that these resources could have been used to strengthen the FIFA Forward program without opening up competition equity to private investors.

A strategy paving the way for 2027?

UEFA does not explicitly call for Gianni Infantino’s departure. However, it announces that it will work with its member associations and other confederations to analyze this crisis and propose new safeguards to prevent a similar situation from arising again.

This move follows a period in which several confederations publicly distanced themselves from the FFE project. CONCACAF officially rejected it after a meeting of its 41 member federations. The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) expressed solidarity with UEFA and denounced a lack of transparency, while CONMEBOL demanded clarifications on governance and the project’s implications.

Facing this growing backlash, Gianni Infantino ultimately announced the project’s withdrawal in a statement to Sky News, stating that the divisions it created were no longer compatible with the intended objectives.

The beginning of a new power struggle

The abandonment of the FFE project appears to be just the first step. UEFA’s statement suggests that the priority now is to rebuild trust within FIFA and to review the organization’s governance mechanisms.

With only months to go before the 2027 presidential election, this stance could signal a more political showdown ahead. Without directly mentioning a change in president, UEFA sends a clear message: for them, the crisis triggered by the FFE project reveals far deeper dysfunctions than the simple abandonment of a commercial reform.