Despite strong opposition from UEFA, European football's governing body, FIFA President Gianni Infantino appears secure in his position, with a significant majority of global football federations backing his leadership. UEFA has accused FIFA of "crossing a red line" and called a recent decision regarding player eligibility an "unprecedented, incomprehensible and unjustifiable decision." This latest disagreement marks a continuation of friction between the two organizations, including a past instance where European delegates staged a walk-out during a FIFA Congress.
Infantino, who previously held a prominent role within UEFA, has faced criticism regarding several FIFA initiatives, including the expansion of the World Cup format to 48 teams. UEFA has also highlighted the affordability of its Euro 2028 tickets in contrast to World Cup pricing and has indicated it will not implement measures like hydration breaks or red cards for specific player actions that FIFA has.
However, Infantino's influence extends beyond Europe. His FIFA Forward program has funded football development projects worldwide, and the expanded World Cup format has offered increased opportunities for nations from confederations with less depth in the sport. The program, funded by revenue from tournaments like the World Cup, is expected to generate $9 billion this year for FIFA.
Support for Infantino's presidency is largely cemented by his relationships with federations globally. The South American Football Confederation (Conmebol), the Confederation of African Football (Caf), and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) have all publicly declared their support. With 106 votes needed to win a FIFA presidency election, Infantino has already secured 111 votes from these confederations alone. He was re-elected unopposed in 2019 and 2023, and with this current level of support, a challenge to his leadership in 2027 appears unlikely. While European football is a significant financial power, the global growth and dreams of less traditional football nations appear to remain largely dependent on the financial resources generated by FIFA under Infantino's leadership.