UEFA confirms departure payment to ex-employee amid Infantino affair allegations

Jul 30, 2026

FIFA President Gianni Infantino strongly denies allegations published by The Telegraph that UEFA made a six-figure departure payment to a former female employee to cover up an extra-marital affair during his tenure as UEFA general secretary. While UEFA confirmed the payout and MBA funding, it maintained the transaction complied with historical regulations. The scandal intensifies an ongoing governance battle, with UEFA threatening a World Cup boycott and Norway demanding Infantino's resignation, while African and South American federations offer varying degrees of support.

UEFA departure payment confirmed

▪The Union of European Football Associations stated that its internal staff regulations have been tightened since 2016 to reflect modern organizational standards.
▪The Union of European Football Associations stated that the departure payment made to the former employee complied with internal regulations in place at the time.
▪The Union of European Football Associations confirmed that a departure payment and MBA course fees were paid to a former female employee.

Infantino affair allegations

▪The Telegraph reported on August 7, 2026, that the Union of European Football Associations paid a six-figure sum to a former female employee who allegedly had an affair with Gianni Infantino.
▪The Telegraph reported that Gianni Infantino promoted the unnamed female employee to a lucrative managerial role during their alleged relationship between 2009 and 2016.

Infantino denies misconduct claims

▪Gianni Infantino strongly denied the allegations of an affair and inappropriate conduct, characterizing the claims as categorically untrue and defamatory.
▪A FIFA spokesperson stated that no employee at the Union of European Football Associations or FIFA has ever raised a complaint regarding Gianni Infantino's behavior.

FIFA-UEFA governance conflict

▪The Union of European Football Associations declared a loss of confidence in Gianni Infantino's leadership and threatened to boycott future men's and women's World Cups.
▪FIFA released a statement on August 8, 2026, condemning what it described as a concerted effort by some parties to undermine the organization and its president.

Regional football associations' responses

▪The South American football confederation, CONMEBOL, opposed an extraordinary congress to vote on Gianni Infantino's future, opting to follow the existing election timeline.
▪The Confederation of African Football and the football associations of Mexico and Argentina declared their support for Gianni Infantino's leadership.
▪The Norwegian Football Federation president, Lise Klaveness, publicly called for Gianni Infantino to resign immediately from his position as FIFA president.

World Cup privatization controversy

▪FIFA faced intense pressure and backlash over a proposal to sell partial commercial and operational rights of the World Cup to private investors.
▪FIFA scrapped its controversial plans to sell a minority stake in the World Cup to private investors following widespread backlash from fans and member associations.