A simmering power struggle at the top of world football burst into the open on Friday after UEFA (Union of European Football Associations) declared it had “lost confidence” in FIFA president Gianni Infantino’s leadership, hours after FIFA abandoned plans to sell a stake in its commercial business to private equity investors.

CONCACAF, which oversees football in North, Central America and Caribbean, followed suit with a statement on Saturday seeking a “full review” of the FIFA leadership without mentioning his name. Football fans have also mounted online petitions demanding his ouster following several controversial moments during the World Cup.

Infantino triggered fierce backlash from regional confederations after floating a $4.2-billion plan to sell a stake in World Cup commercial rights last month. UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham became the first leader of a major country to seek his resignation last week — with UEFA and CONCACAF later demanding accountability for the failed equity plan

The fallout also means Infantino is now under immense pressure as he seeks re-election for a fourth term as FIFA president in early 2027. In an unusually direct statement, European football’s governing body welcomed FIFA’s decision to withdraw the proposal but said the episode had severely damaged trust in the organisation’s leadership.

“This is a victory for the whole game,” UEFA said. “But it must not be the end of the story. The proposal has gone. The task of rebuilding trust in FIFA has only just begun.”

“This recent unilateral and egregious act of poor governance and leadership follows a pattern of missteps and similar behaviour. A full review of this leadership must now take place,” a CONCACAF statement read.

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UEFA questions transparency under Infantino

UEFA accused FIFA of pursuing the proposal through what it described as a secretive process that fell short of the transparency Infantino promised when he was elected FIFA president in 2016.

Recalling Infantino’s campaign commitments, UEFA said he had pledged greater openness and promised to use FIFA’s financial reserves for the benefit of football’s member associations.

“On both these promises, he has failed to deliver,” UEFA said.

It described the proposed transaction as a “shabby, back room, opaque deal” and criticised what it called a lack of consultation with football stakeholders.

“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,” the statement read.

UEFA added that it would consult with other continental confederations to examine how the proposal emerged and warned that “no option should be off the table” when considering future action.

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FIFA withdraws controversial investment proposal

The strongly worded response came only hours after FIFA confirmed it was shelving plans to sell a minority stake in a new commercial entity that would have housed revenue-generating assets such as the men’s and women’s FIFA World Cups and Club World Cups.

According to reports, the proposed subsidiary was valued at around $20 billion, with FIFA seeking to sell a 20 per cent stake to outside investors.

The reported lead investor was a New York-based investment firm founded by Joshua Kushner, the younger brother of Jared Kushner, son-in-law of US President Donald Trump.

The proposal attracted criticism over governance, transparency and the commercial direction of FIFA, with reports suggesting Infantino personally stood to benefit financially from the arrangement.

Growing tensions after the 2026 World Cup

The dispute comes amid increasing scrutiny of Infantino following the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

The FIFA president faced criticism during the tournament over his close relationship with US President Donald Trump, with political involvement in football decisions becoming a major talking point.

Reports also suggested relations between UEFA and FIFA deteriorated further after the tournament, adding to long-running disagreements over governance and the expansion of FIFA competitions.

While FIFA’s decision to abandon the proposal eases immediate concerns, UEFA made it clear that the broader governance issues remain unresolved. The European governing body said it would now work with other continental confederations to examine how the proposal emerged and ensure similar initiatives cannot be pursued without transparency and proper consultation.