Gianni Infantino’s hopes of surviving as FIFA president have been boosted after four Asian nations publicly backed him following the abolition of divisive plans to sell stakes in the World Cup.
UEFA partnered with the North, Central America and Caribbean confederation (CONCACAF) and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) to force Infantino to drop plans to sell a £3.1 billion stake in the World Cup to private investors.
UEFA and CONCACAF have since called on Infantino to quit – but their ploy to depose the Swiss football administrator has hit a roadblock after Kuwait, Qatar, Sri Lanka and Lebanon reiterated their confidence in his leadership.
UEFA and CONCACAF make up 90 of FIFA’s 211 member associations. Although that is enough to trigger a vote of no confidence – only 20 per cent of FIFA’s membership is required – it falls short of the majority needed to topple Infantino.
With Infantino retaining support from Africa while South America are expected to take the same position, AFC members would be required to oust the FIFA president. Morocco, co-hosts of the next World Cup, released a statement
New Zealand could join Europe and CONCACAF’s resistance, but it is doubtful that the remaining 10 members of the Oceania Football Confederation would follow suit.
In a statement welcoming the decision to abandon the private equity proposal, the AFC refrained from defying the FIFA leadership.
Gianni Infantino’s plan to sell a £3.1billion stake in the World Cup was shown a red card
Infantino’s presidency is at risk, with UEFA and CONCACAF calling for him to go, but Asia could yet come to his rescue
The subsequent championing by Kuwait, Qatar, Sri Lanka and Lebanon reinforced the impression that Infantino retains significant backing across Asia.
The other 40 AFC member associations have yet to comment publicly, suggesting they support the association’s statement, which does not challenge his presidency.
Australia, also an AFC member, welcomed the decision to scrap the investment plan and said: ‘Attention must now turn to the future.’
While UEFA and CONCACAF have enough support to force a vote of no confidence, they do not currently have the numbers to remove Infantino.
Public opposition stands at 43 per cent of FIFA’s membership, below the majority required to unseat him.
That said, the undeclared associations will not necessarily vote in a block with their confederations.
If 16 nations were to break ranks and join the opposition, Infantino’s presidency would be in a perilous position.
On Saturday, AFC president Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa said: ‘I am proud that all our member associations stood united and entrusted the AFC with seeking answers on their behalf regarding this crucial issue concerning the future of global football governance.
‘I thank them for their patience, solidarity, and unity, and I assure them that the AFC will always act in their best interests.
‘The future of global football must always be shaped through sound consultation, collective dialogue, and respect for the established governance structures of our game.’
UEFA, however, took a more direct position: ‘UEFA welcomes FIFA’s decision to withdraw its plan to sell a stake in its competitions – including the World Cup – into private hands.
‘The proposal was unanimously rejected by UEFA’s national associations and by many other federations and confederations of all sizes around the world, whose job it is to protect football.
‘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. We must identify those responsible and hold them to account.
‘It is right that, in the coming days and weeks, UEFA will work with its associations and in close cooperation with other confederations to reflect on how this happened and devise a plan to make sure that it cannot occur again.
‘That review should be thorough and fundamental. No option should be off the table. The current FIFA leadership has not only lost UEFA’s confidence but also that of many other members of the football family.
‘The shabby, back-room, opaque deal he hatched and tried to force through was anything but transparent. This is a victory for the whole game. 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.’
UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin has led the charge against Infantino this week
Infantino, a Lebanese citizen, has been backed by Kuwait, Qatar, Sri Lanka and Lebanon since scrapping the plans
Countless European nations, including England, Wales, the Netherlands and Norway, endorsed the statement.
A spokeswoman for the English FA added: ‘We fully support UEFA’s position. It is time for a full and robust review of FIFA’s leadership and governance to ensure that the global game is run transparently, for the benefit of all 211 member nations and with the long-term stewardship of football at its heart.’
CONCACAF, as they have all week, followed suit: ‘CONCACAF and its 41 Member Associations welcome the withdrawal of the proposed FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE).
‘The Confederation also commends its 41 Member Associations and the wider football family for the courage and unity they have shown this week.
‘At a moment that demanded principled leadership, our members stood together in defence of football’s long-term interests and the principles of good governance. That unity has prevailed.
‘A proposal of this magnitude does not reach that stage by accident. It is a symptom of leadership that has stopped putting football first.
‘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.
‘This concern is not CONCACAF’s alone. It is shared across many confederations, Member Associations and those who serve and love the game.
‘When people entrusted with protecting the game conclude they can no longer do so from within, the football family is entitled to ask how such a proposal was allowed to proceed, and who bears responsibility for it.’
