Gianni Infantino faces leadership challenge as FIFA members rebel

Council representatives from Europe and North America are attempting to secure support from at least 19 of the body’s 37 members – the threshold required under Fifa statutes to convene an Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM).

If successful, that gathering could evolve into a vote of no confidence in Mr Infantino, whose presidency has been rocked by a collapsed commercial deal and deepening governance rows.

Discontent has been fuelled by his abandoned plan to spin off Fifa’s commercial operations into a $20 billion venture, including selling a 20 per cent stake to private equity firm Thrive Capital.

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The proposal, which critics described as a sell-off of the World Cup, triggered fierce backlash, a threatened boycott by UEFA and accusations that Mr Infantino tried to push the project through unilaterally.

Following the U-turn, UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin declared the confederation had “lost confidence” in the Fifa boss, while CONCACAF publicly demanded a full review of Fifa’s governance.

La Liga’s president has also called for Mr Infantino to be removed as Fifa president, increasing the pressure from within European football.

Council members’ anger predates the commercial debacle and was already sharpened by Fifa’s handling of the controversial lifting of Folarin Balogun’s suspension during the World Cup.

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That decision is alleged to have been influenced by political pressure, prompting rebels to demand an independent external review and leading the Norwegian FA to complain to the International Olympic Committee that Fifa breached neutrality rules by bowing to pressure from President Donald Trump.

Fifa insists that due process was followed and that its ethics committee took the decision independently, but it has yet to publish a written report on the case, further inflaming tensions on the council.

For now, Mr Infantino retains key allies in Asia and Africa, and any attempt to oust him would depend on rebels building cross-confederation support ahead of a possible EGM.

But with UEFA and CONCACAF openly challenging his authority, the Fifa president faces an unprecedented battle to keep control of the game’s most powerful office.

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This comes after Oxford United owner Erick Thohir backed FIFA’s World Cup sell-off scheme put forward by Mr Infantino.

Oxford’s owner is also president of the Indonesian Football Association and has spoken to Sky News, vowing to support the FIFA president’s proposals.

Mr Thohir signed a deal with Infantino last year to form a FIFA ‘hub’ in Jakarta, the Indonesian capital.

The U’s owner is seemingly one of very few people in favour of the new plans, along with David Trunda, president of the Czech FA.

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“If FIFA members approve it, it will show there is a demand for this deal to happen,” the Yellows’ owner insisted, speaking to Sky News.

Should the plans be voted through by mid-September, all 211 member associations would receive a $40 million windfall.

The Indonesian FA are members of AFC who have opposed FIFA’s scheme, and Mr Thohir’s country is set to vote in favour.

He continued to Sky News: “Indonesian football has been transformed in the last three years – it has been cleaned up.

“The national team’s ranking has gone from 174 to 118 – to continue this transformation it needs funding.”