Gianni Infantino faces rebellion as FIFA council members seek extraordinary meeting

Aug 1, 2026

FIFA President Gianni Infantino faces a widespread rebellion after his secret plan to sell a 20% stake in the World Cup's commercial rights to private investors, including a firm linked to Joshua Kushner, was scrapped amid backlash. European body UEFA and several national associations have withdrawn support for his re-election, citing governance failures. Council members are now seeking an extraordinary meeting to challenge his leadership.

World Cup privatization plan

▪The FFE plan aimed to raise up to $4.2 billion and provide each of FIFA's 211 member associations with a one-off $20 million payment.
▪Gianni Infantino's plan proposed selling a 20% stake in a new commercial entity, FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE), valued at $20 billion.
▪FIFA scrapped the privatization plan after widespread backlash, including a boycott threat from UEFA's 55 member nations.

Infantino leadership rebellion

▪England's Football Association is set to follow Wales and Finland in formally withdrawing its support for Infantino's re-election.
▪A group of FIFA council members is attempting to force an extraordinary general meeting (EGM), which requires support from 19 of the 37 members.
▪UEFA and CONCACAF, the governing bodies for Europe and North/Central America, declared they have lost confidence in Gianni Infantino's leadership.
▪The Football Association of Wales formally withdrew its support for Infantino's re-election bid for the 2027-2031 term.

Kushner investment firm involvement

▪Joshua Kushner is the younger brother of Jared Kushner, the son-in-law of former U.S. President Donald Trump.
▪UEFA has threatened legal action against individuals involved in the plan, including Gianni Infantino and Joshua Kushner.
▪The proposed investment partner in the FFE plan was Thrive Capital, a venture capital firm founded by Joshua Kushner.

FIFA governance failures

▪Discontent with Infantino's leadership also stemmed from the decision to lift Folarin Balogun's World Cup suspension following phone calls from Donald Trump.
▪The Welsh FA cited Infantino's "failures in good governance, processes, leadership, values, stakeholder management, communications and sound judgment" for its decision.
▪Claudius Schaefer, head of European professional football leagues, stated Infantino's position looks untenable for advancing the deal secretly.
▪The privatization plan was developed without the knowledge of key FIFA bodies, including the FIFA Council.

Presidential election implications

▪The deadline for candidates to challenge Infantino in the next presidential election is November 18.
▪European nations are now planning a mass withdrawal of their endorsement letters for Infantino's re-election.
▪Before the crisis, Infantino was expected to be re-elected unopposed for a fourth term and had secured over 200 letters of support.
▪The Confederation of African Football and South America's CONMEBOL continue to fully support Infantino.