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Game of Thrones: football’s world war

From Clarín · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

Analysis Named sources Ongoing story
  • FIFA President Gianni Infantino faces mounting opposition from European federations over an alleged attempt to privatize future World Cups without their approval.
  • Europe, Asia and North America have criticized Infantino, while South America, Africa and Oceania remain more supportive, creating divisions ahead of the leadership contest.
  • Infantino has confirmed he will continue seeking the presidency, but the article says rival alliances and candidates may emerge before candidates are formally confirmed on Nov. 18.

Gianni Infantino has secured public backing from FIFA executives in Rabat, but the support from football’s institutional base is becoming harder to maintain. Kevin Lamour, FIFA’s chief operating officer and its third-ranking official, was dismissed after openly disagreeing with the president.

The confrontation comes after the most financially successful World Cup in history, according to the article. Infantino is nevertheless facing resistance from federations, particularly in Europe, which say they have “lost confidence” in him after he allegedly tried to advance a plan to privatize the World Cups without their knowledge.

The proposed business was reportedly directed toward Joshua Kushner, a Manhattan billionaire and the brother of one of Donald Trump’s sons-in-law. The Times reported that Infantino could have led FIFA Forward, the company that would benefit, with an annual salary of $60 million, ten times his current pay. The article presents those details as reported figures rather than an announced arrangement.

Lost confidence.

· European football federationsThe article uses the phrase to describe their opposition to Infantino.

Criticism from Europe has been joined by Asia and North America, although the article stresses that those blocs are not unified. South America, Africa and Oceania are more supportive of Infantino, but fractures are appearing across the football map. Belgium became the latest federation to withdraw its support on Monday.

Africa remains Infantino’s strongest base, with 54 votes, one fewer than Europe. Morocco leads that bloc and is seeking to take the final from Spain, adding another layer to the political contest.

Infantino confirmed on Sunday that he intends to continue. For now, he has no declared opponent, but the article says the votes of angry federations are unlikely to disappear. UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin has been mentioned as a possible rival, although he has ruled himself out and may support a third candidate, possibly CONCACAF President Victor Montagliani. Candidates are due to be formally confirmed on Nov. 18, setting the stage for a season of alliances and betrayals.

Support total.

· FIFA executives in RabatThe phrase describes the backing shown for Infantino at the meeting.
About this summary

Originally published by Clarín in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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