Countries Take Sides as Fifa President Faces Big Challenge

Gianni Infantino, the president of Fifa — the organization that runs world football — is in serious trouble. Many countries and football groups have withdrawn their support for him after he tried to sell parts of the World Cup to private investors. The plan was scrapped, but the damage was already done. Nations across Europe, Asia, and the Americas have come out against him, while others in Africa and the Middle East are standing by his side.

The trouble started when Infantino tried to bring in private money by selling stakes in the World Cup. Football groups said they were never consulted about the plan. When it fell apart, many associations said they had lost faith in how Infantino runs Fifa. He sent an apology letter, but for many countries, that was not enough.

Europe has led the pushback. Uefa, the governing body for European football, said its boycott of Fifa competitions is still on. It wants to be sure that no one will ever try to 'disfigure the game' in this way again. England, Wales, Finland, Serbia, Sweden, Croatia, Albania, and Greece all sent letters to Fifa saying they would not back Infantino's bid to be re-elected in March 2027. Ireland joined them too, saying recent events raised 'significant concerns regarding governance, transparency and the lack of meaningful consultation.'

Norway's football president Lise Klaveness was one of the strongest voices against Infantino. She said: 'The trust is now gone for us, there is no way back for Infantino.' She called on him to resign right away so that world football could move forward together. The Netherlands also said it had lost confidence in his leadership, though it had not yet sent an official letter.

Wales was among the first to speak out loudly against Infantino. Its football association said he had 'lost the confidence' of the organization and that 'failing to put the best interests of football first is a failure we cannot accept.' Romania called the sell-off plan 'a dangerous initiative to turn football into a private asset.' Northern Ireland said it had concerns but had not officially withdrawn its support yet.

Outside Europe, three powerful confederations — Concacaf, the AFC, and Uefa — signed a joint statement giving Infantino the chance to resign 'with dignity.' Concacaf president Victor Montagliani is seen as a likely challenger in the upcoming election. The AFC called for an 'urgent review' of how Fifa is run. Jordan's federation president also accused Fifa of offering help in exchange for his endorsement — something he called blackmail.

Not everyone is against Infantino. The African Football Confederation, known as Caf, became the first major confederation to fully back him. It represents 54 member associations — more than a quarter of Fifa's 211 members. Several African nations said Fifa's money and programmes have helped their football grow, and they do not want to lose that support.

From South America, Argentina and Paraguay backed Infantino, and Mexico broke away from the rest of Concacaf to support him. Qatar, Lebanon, Morocco, Egypt, Sudan, and Mauritania signed a joint statement of support. Countries like Sri Lanka, Kuwait, Indonesia, the Philippines, Bhutan, and Mongolia also backed the Fifa president, showing that he still has allies around the world.

The global players union, Fifpro, accused Infantino of a 'profound abuse of presidential power.' South America's confederation, Conmebol, expressed concern but is still expected to support him. The Oceania confederation has not yet taken an official position, though New Zealand opposed his plan. With the presidential election set for March 2027, the battle over Infantino's future in world football is far from over.