Pressure is mounting on FIFA President Gianni Infantino to resign following revelations that UEFA paid a six-figure sum to a woman with whom he allegedly had an affair during his time as UEFA general secretary.

The report indicates that the junior employee, allegedly involved with Infantino, received a promotion and a 30% pay rise around the time of their relationship. UEFA's then-president, Michel Platini, was reportedly aware of the situation and raised concerns with Infantino.

UEFA confirmed the payment and awareness of the relationship in a statement to The Telegraph, noting that the departure payment was made in line with regulations at the time. These regulations, the organization stated, have since been tightened. The payment also covered the cost of an MBA course for the employee, valued at approximately £45,000 per year.

Infantino, who has been married since 2001 and has four daughters, served as UEFA secretary general from 2009 before being elected FIFA president in 2016. He has since been re-elected twice.

These allegations surface as Infantino is already facing criticism and calls to step down after abandoning a controversial plan to sell stakes in the World Cup to private investors. UEFA has been leading opposition to Infantino's leadership in response to the scrapped proposal, threatening to boycott FIFA tournaments if he remains in his position.

Despite significant opposition from UEFA, Infantino appears to retain support from football federations in Africa, South America, and Asia, which historically has been sufficient to secure his re-election. Mexico recently reaffirmed its confidence in FIFA's leadership, diverging from the CONCACAF bloc's opposition.

The potential commercial impact of UEFA's boycott could create significant challenges for FIFA, potentially leading Infantino to reconsider his position. However, Infantino has shown no indication of stepping down, having received support from FIFA's hierarchy following recent crisis talks.

Separately, the Norwegian FA president, Lise Klaveness, announced her intention to report Infantino to the FIFA Ethics Committee. This complaint is expected to address not only the World Cup stake sale but also a FIFA Peace Prize awarded to President Donald Trump and the suspension of a red card for player Folarin Balogun, which Klaveness alleges was influenced by political pressure from Trump.