FIFA President Gianni Infantino, facing mounting pressure to resign, deflected questions about his future and a recently abandoned plan to sell stakes in the World Cup by making jokes about his appearance. When approached by a Sky News reporter asking if he had betrayed football and why he would not step down, Infantino replied, "You have a nice haircut, thank you so much. See you at the hairdressers." Both Infantino and the reporter are bald.
Infantino's attempts to steer clear of serious scrutiny come weeks after a clandestine plot to sell stakes in the World Cup was revealed. The plan, which would have reportedly banked him millions, was scrapped following significant backlash and opposition, including from within FIFA and UEFA. UEFA has stated they will boycott all FIFA tournaments until Infantino resigns.
World Cup Sale Proposal
The controversial proposal, which came to light in July, involved selling parts of the World Cup to private investors and forming a new company. The deal was estimated to be worth around £15 billion. Reports indicated that Infantino could have become the commissioner of this new company after his FIFA role concludes in 2031, a position that could have paid him upwards of $50 million annually. The blueprint for this sale had been discussed among senior FIFA figures and potential investors, with some signing non-disclosure agreements. Bank JPMorgan was reportedly handling the process, and the administration of then-U.S. President Donald Trump was understood to have been consulted.
Mounting Pressure and Opposition
Earlier this month, Infantino held crisis talks with executives in Morocco, after which he received the "full support" of FIFA's top leadership. However, opposition has continued to grow. UEFA and CONCACAF, the governing body for North and Central America and the Caribbean, have both called for Infantino's resignation. Europe has formally declared a lack of confidence in the FIFA president.
Jordan FA president Prince Ali bin Hussein accused Infantino of blackmail, marking the first Asian nation to publicly oppose the FIFA president. This move made Jordan the 91st member association to take a stance against Infantino, with 106 nations needed to depose him. Portuguese football legend Luis Figo also penned a strong critique, branding the aborted World Cup sale as "the lowest, most deceitful and cravenly self-interested behaviour I have ever witnessed." Figo, who initially backed Infantino in 2015, described the plan as a "grubby, underhand plot" and called the FIFA executive a "relic who should have no part in football’s future." He also referenced other controversies, including the suspension of a red card ban and the half-time show at the World Cup final, accusing Infantino of "a litany of abuses" and having "lied, deceived and tried to feather his own nest at the expense of the game he is supposed to serve."