Calls for FIFA president Gianni Infantino to resign have intensified despite continued backing from several football bodies, including the Confederation of African Football (CAF) and the football federations of Mexico and Argentina.
Infantino, the 56-year-old Italian-Swiss lawyer, has faced growing opposition following a dispute over a proposed commercial subsidiary, FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE). FIFA had said the venture could raise up to $4.2 billion based on a valuation of $20bn and would oversee major events such as the World Cup and Club World Cup.
European football’s governing body UEFA, where Infantino served as secretary general from 2009 to 2016, has emerged as one of his strongest critics. UEFA reiterated on Thursday that it no longer had “confidence” in the FIFA president and repeated its threat to boycott World Cup competitions.
The threat of a boycott is believed to have played a key role in Infantino’s decision to shelve the proposed investment arrangement.
The Norwegian Football Federation (NFF) has gone further, with its president Lise Klaveness calling for Infantino’s immediate resignation.
“We are going to ask the FIFA president to resign now,” Klaveness said on Friday.
Infantino is expected to seek a fourth and final term as FIFA president at elections in Rabat next March. He is currently the only declared candidate, with nominations due by Nov 18.
FIFA regulations also allow for an extraordinary congress to be convened, where a vote of no confidence in the president could be held.
Klaveness has been mentioned as a potential successor and could become the first woman to lead world football. However, she said her call for Infantino’s resignation was not motivated by personal ambitions.
“It’s now about the issues … and not about particular individuals,” she told AFP.
CONCACAF president Victor Montagliani has also been frequently mentioned as a possible challenger to Infantino. The regional governing body had called for a “comprehensive reckoning” with the FIFA presidency but has not publicly commented since FIFA’s latest statement.
The Asian Football Confederation (AFC), which had also raised concerns over how the proposed investment plan was handled, has similarly remained silent following the latest developments.
Despite the criticism, Infantino continues to enjoy support within international football. Mexico’s football federation publicly backed his leadership after the proposed investment plan was withdrawn.
“The FMF supports president Infantino’s leadership,” it said.
CAF’s executive committee also “unanimously reconfirmed its support” for Infantino following a meeting on Thursday.
The development was welcomed by South African Sports Minister Gayton McKenzie, who had urged African football bodies to oppose what he described as the “public lynching” of the FIFA president.
