Infantino Deflects Questions on His Future Amid Mounting Pressure at FIFA

Infantino remained tight-lipped regarding his re-election as FIFA president upon arriving at the U-20 Women’s World Cup.

Published On 6 Sep 20266 Sep 2026

FIFA President Gianni Infantino has declined to address the leadership challenges stemming from his abandoned plan to sell World Cup rights to private investors, remaining non-committal about his potential re-election upon arriving at the Under-20 Women’s World Cup in Poland.

The 56-year-old FIFA president, who faces mounting pressure and the possibility of criminal proceedings, attended the opening day of the tournament in Katowice on Saturday, where he spoke with Polish football federation president Cezary Kulesza as the host nation faced Argentina.

Upon arriving at the Arena Katowice, Infantino deliberately avoided inquiries regarding his future at the global football governing body.

“There will be a lot to say, but there will be a right place and a right time to say this. It’s not today, it’s not here, but here and today, we are enjoying football,” the FIFA president told British broadcaster Sky News outside the venue.

“We are continuing at FIFA, of course, to work to give every corner of the world a chance, an opportunity, a dignity, to find ways and means for them to become better and to participate and to celebrate football, which we all love,” he added.

When questioned about whether he had considered resigning or intended to seek a fourth term next year, Infantino offered no response.

The FIFA president has largely remained out of the public eye since his proposal to sell commercial rights collapsed due to opposition from numerous FIFA member nations and several of his own officials.

The European nations, representing a quarter of the 24-team tournament field, withdrew their boycott threat last week after receiving assurances from FIFA that the controversial plan would not be reinstated.

Legal proceedings related to the original proposal continue, and Europe is spearheading efforts to remove Infantino ahead of next year’s FIFA election.

A legal filing submitted by FIFA on Thursday accused UEFA of orchestrating a “smear campaign against FIFA and its leadership” as the European governing body seeks to obtain evidence related to the FIFA Forward Enterprise plan.

Shortly after the World Cup concluded in July, Infantino provoked widespread outrage among football leaders when British publication The Times revealed his plan to establish a $20 billion subsidiary to control FIFA commercial rights, including those of the World Cup.

The proposed spinoff was set to be 20 percent owned by investors led by a New York fund founded by Joshua Kushner. The fund’s initial capital was intended to distribute $20 million offers to each of FIFA’s 211 member federations, with a mid-September deadline set for acceptance.

The FIFA president abandoned the proposal within four days of its announcement. UEFA secured backing from the Asian Football Confederation and CONCACAF, and senior FIFA officials also voiced criticism of the plan and Infantino.

Source link