Fifa president Gianni Infantino is fighting for his job after the governing body's stunning proposal to sell stakes in commercial rights for the World Cup was met with swift and stiff opposition, resulting in an almost immediate collapse of the controversial plan.
The world governing body planned to raise up to $4.2 billion by selling a 20 per cent stake in a new entity that would run Fifa events, including the World Cup, to private investors.
The plan, announced this week, was opposed by major football bodies.
European football’s Uefa led the way, stating that it would boycott the World Cup and all Fifa competitions if the proposal was not taken back.
Concacaf, the confederation of North American, Central American and Caribbean nations, also rejected the Fifa plan. The Asian Football Confederation also gave its support to Uefa and Concacaf.
“The AFC stands in solidarity with Uefa and Concacaf in expressing serious concerns over Fifa’s proposal to introduce private investment into [its] flagship competitions and the decision-making process around Fifa Forward Enterprise [FFE],” the AFC said in a statement.
With the growing opposition, Fifa scrapped the sale plan.
Where does this leave Infantino?
Fifa boss Infantino is fighting for his future. Just weeks after overseeing a hugely profitable but often scandal-ridden World Cup in North America, he made a huge gamble and it backfired.
Infantino had earlier stated he aims to seek re-election for a fourth term as Fifa president. Since taking over from Sepp Blatter in 2016, he has been re-elected unopposed twice. Fifa allows three full terms for presidents, but Infantino's first does not count as it was only a partial term.
Swiss administrator Infantino has had the unwavering support of many confederations, especially those in Africa and Asia.
Fifa saw its revenue jump to $15bn in the recent cycle, which was almost double that of the previous cycle, which included the Qatar World Cup. This resulted in a financial boost for many smaller football federations.
His re-election for the 2027–31 term seemed like a formality. However, the backlash surrounding the failed World Cup sale proposal has left him on the brink ahead of next March's Fifa Congress in Morocco.
Former Fifa vice-president Jim Boyce told the BBC he believes Infantino will “still have enough support [but] if things continue at the pace they are continuing, who knows?”
Uefa has 'lost confidence in leadership'
Following the climbdown, Uefa stated the European body had lost trust in Infantino's leadership.
Uefa said the “task of rebuilding trust in FIFA” had only just begun.
“The current Fifa leadership has not only lost Uefa’s confidence but also that of many other members of the football family,” the body said in a statement.
“We cannot keep going on like this with secret schemes on fast-track timescales, cooked up by faceless individuals and of dubious benefit to the game. We must identify those responsible and hold them to account.”
The statement shows which way Uefa is expected to tilt during the next elections. Concacaf said the proposal was advanced outside all established governance processes, with no transparency, consultation or due process.
“A proposal of this magnitude does not reach that stage by accident. It is a symptom of leadership that has stopped putting football first,” it said.
“This recent unilateral and egregious act of poor governance and leadership follows a pattern of missteps and similar behaviour. A comprehensive reckoning with this presidency is imperative.”
Support from Qatar
Qatar, host of the 2022 tournament, was a rare backer of the Swiss on Saturday.
Although the Qatar FA welcomed the withdrawal of his controversial plan, it said it still supported his leadership.
In a statement attributed to the Qatar FA president, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa bin Ahmed Al Thani, he said: “Although the proposal includes some ideas worthy of study, we commend placing the continued unity of all member national associations as an immediate priority in the current period, and the wisdom behind this decision.
“At the Qatar Football Association, we affirm our full support for president Infantino's ongoing efforts to develop and grow football around the world.”
When is the next election for Fifa president?
The voting for the next Fifa president will take place at the Fifa Congress in Morocco on March 18 next year. Infantino is currently the only candidate running for the post.
Other candidates have until November 18 to put their names forward.
Previously, Infantino seemed to have the numbers, with over 200 federations endorsing his candidature for a fourth term as president. In a rapidly developing story, his future now looks increasingly uncertain.
