FIFA President Gianni Infantino was the target of a public protest in Times Square on Friday, where a digital billboard displayed messages calling for his removal from the global soccer organization. The billboard, located at the corner of Broadway and West 43rd Street, featured slogans such as "FIFA DESERVES A LEADER NOT A DEALER" and urged soccer confederations to "REMOVE INFANTINO."
The protest comes as Infantino faces scrutiny over his leadership, including the collapse of a plan to bring outside investors into a FIFA commercial subsidiary. This proposal reportedly aimed to raise as much as $4.2 billion at a valuation of $20 billion.
Last week, Infantino canceled a planned appearance at a dinner attended by financial leaders in the Hamptons. The FIFA Forward Enterprise proposal had previously drawn significant opposition from UEFA and its 55 member associations, who claimed the plan was developed without sufficient consultation. These regional bodies had reportedly threatened to withdraw national teams from FIFA competitions if the proposal remained on the table.
UEFA is reportedly seeking evidence from Josh Kushner through U.S. federal courts for a potential criminal complaint in Switzerland concerning alleged mismanagement tied to the proposal. FIFA has denied any wrongdoing, characterizing the legal actions as a "smear campaign." No court has found that Infantino criminally mismanaged FIFA or personally profited from the abandoned plan.
Organizers of the billboard protest accused Infantino of attempting to "sell international football" and called for soccer's governing bodies to remove him. In a statement, the group of fans asserted they "echo the feelings of fans everywhere regarding Infantino and the threat he poses to the future of football." The organizers also criticized Infantino's relationship with President Donald Trump, citing FIFA's decision to award Trump its inaugural Peace Prize in December 2025.
The group alleged that Infantino is "a dealer who tried to sell the World Cup and more disturbingly, the children’s World Cup." However, the statement did not provide evidence to substantiate more serious accusations, such as claims that Infantino "deceived, blackmailed, and threatened" FIFA officials or that he stood to personally gain from transactions.
The public backlash comes as Infantino prepares to seek another term as FIFA president in 2027. He announced his candidacy in April. FIFA maintains that the 39 months he served after initially winning the presidency in February 2016, completing his predecessor Sepp Blatter's term, do not count towards the organization's three-term limit. Critics dispute this interpretation, arguing it could permit Infantino to remain in power for approximately 15 years, contrary to term limits introduced after the Blatter era. This interpretation has not been definitively resolved by an independent judicial body.
Infantino was first elected in 2016 and reelected without opposition in 2019 and 2023. During his tenure, FIFA has expanded its commercial operations and development funding, including increasing the men's World Cup from 32 to 48 teams starting in 2026. FIFA reports that approximately $2.8 billion was allocated to its 211 member associations across the first two cycles of its Forward development program.
Infantino retains significant political backing; the Confederation of African Football endorsed his 2027 candidacy in August. FIFA has been contacted for comment regarding the protest and related matters.