UEFA demands FIFA President Infantino resign or face no-confidence vote

European football governing body UEFA has reportedly demanded the resignation of FIFA President Gianni Infantino, according to Swedish newspaper Dagens Nyheter, citing The Telegraph. This ultimatum comes after FIFA abruptly withdrew its controversial plans to sell stakes in its tournaments to private equity firms.

The withdrawal of the plans, announced early Saturday, did not appease UEFA. The organization issued a strong statement criticizing FIFA's leadership, stating, "We cannot continue like this, with secret plans being pushed through at express speed, developed by anonymous individuals and with highly questionable benefit to the sport." UEFA declared that FIFA's current leadership has lost not only its trust but also that of many other members within the global football family.

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We cannot continue like this, with secret plans being pushed through at express speed, developed by anonymous individuals and with highly questionable benefit to the sport. We must identify those responsible and hold them accountable. The current FIFA leadership has not only lost UEFA's trust, but also that of many other members within the global football family.

Reports suggest UEFA has given Infantino an ultimatum: resign or face a no-confidence vote at an extraordinary FIFA Congress. Such a congress could be convened if 20% of FIFA's 211 member federations support the demand. UEFA alone represents 55 federations.

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A proposal of this magnitude does not reach this stage by chance. It is a symptom of a leadership that has stopped putting football first.

UEFA's stance has been supported by CONCACAF, the confederation for North, Central America, and Caribbean nations, which represents 41 federations. CONCACAF stated that a proposal of such magnitude "does not reach this stage by chance" and is a "symptom of a leadership that has stopped putting football first." They emphasized the critical need for a thorough evaluation of Infantino's presidency.

Other football associations have also voiced concerns. The Swedish Football Association (SvFF) welcomed FIFA's decision to abandon the stake sale plan but expressed ongoing worry about governance and transparency. The Danish Football Union's chairman, Jesper Møller, explicitly stated they have lost confidence in Infantino, echoing sentiments that his leadership is no longer supportable.

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I fully agree that confidence in the FIFA president has disappeared. Therefore, I cannot support him either, just as we did not in 2023.