FIFA: Is CONCACAF now preparing its own revolt against Gianni Infantino?

The withdrawal of the FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) project has not put an end to the crisis shaking FIFA. Quite the opposite. After UEFA, CONCACAF has just released a particularly harsh statement that goes far beyond the issue of the World Cup's privatization. While the North American confederation welcomes the project's abandonment, it now openly questions the governance and leadership of Gianni Infantino.

Eight months before the FIFA presidential election, this shift in tone could signal a major political turning point.

CONCACAF is no longer just criticizing a project, but a presidency

Unlike its initial statement, which mainly denounced the lack of transparency around the FFE project, CONCACAF now directly targets the way FIFA is being run.

The organization argues that “the future of the World Cup was decided outside any established governance framework, without transparency, without consultation, and without due process.”

Furthermore, it considers that this issue is not an isolated incident.

According to CONCACAF, “a proposal of this magnitude does not reach this stage by accident. It is a symptom of leadership that has stopped prioritizing football.”

An extremely strong accusation, aimed squarely at Gianni Infantino's presidency.

An unprecedented call to scrutinize FIFA's governance

The most significant part of the statement comes when CONCACAF calls for “a thorough review of this presidency.”

This wording goes far beyond a mere request for explanations about the FFE project. For the first time, a major confederation is officially demanding that the functioning of Gianni Infantino's presidency be subject to institutional review.

CONCACAF also asserts that FIFA cannot be managed like a private company. It reminds that its leaders hold a fiduciary duty on behalf of the 211 member associations and that their duty to serve football must always come before any other consideration.

The statement goes even further, declaring that “when this duty is not respected, accountability cannot be ignored,” hinting that this crisis could have political consequences.

A strategy close to UEFA's

This stance comes just hours after UEFA's statement.

The European organization had asserted that “the current FIFA leadership has lost the confidence” of a large part of the football family. It also accused Gianni Infantino of abandoning the promises of transparency and good governance he made when elected in 2016.

CONCACAF is now taking a very similar line. Without explicitly calling for the FIFA president's resignation, it demands that governance, accountability, and leadership issues be examined by the FIFA Council, in accordance with the organization's statutes.

This alignment between two of the six continental confederations is far from insignificant. Together, UEFA and CONCACAF represent nearly one hundred national federations within FIFA.

Towards a political front ahead of the 2027 election?

The statement also reveals the strategy CONCACAF now seeks to pursue. Its representatives on the FIFA Council have been mandated to bring this debate directly to the organization's governing bodies. The stated goal is twofold: to strengthen governance rules and to secure better use of FIFA's significant financial reserves to develop football, without resorting to private investors.

In conclusion, the confederation delivers a particularly symbolic message: “Football will remain where it belongs: in the hands of football, not in those of a single individual.”

Without naming Gianni Infantino, this phrase stands out as the most personal criticism yet levelled at his leadership.

Having won the battle against the FFE project, UEFA and CONCACAF now appear to be opening a new front: that of FIFA's governance. With just months to go before the 2027 presidential election, this succession of statements could signal a much deeper challenge to Gianni Infantino's leadership than the mere abandonment of a commercial reform.

Nouya M'toama

Editorfr, en

Versatile journalist specializing in sports and political news, with extensive experience across radio, print and digital media platforms.

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