Internet State

Denmark’s football chief, Jesper Moller, criticized FIFA for not addressing critical questions regarding its abandoned proposal to sell commercial stakes in tournaments and called for President Gianni Infantino to resign. Moller indicated that FIFA's leadership, comprising 37 Council members, including Infantino, has lost credibility, with several European national associations, such as France and Austria, withdrawing support for Infantino’s re-election ahead of the vote set for March 18, 2027. The Danish FA has pledged to identify a credible alternative candidate as they believe trust in FIFA’s leadership can no longer be restored through apologies or withdrawals regarding recent controversies.

UEFA has requested a U.S. court to deny FIFA's American subsidiaries' attempts to intervene in its evidence-gathering process for a potential Swiss criminal investigation against FIFA President Gianni Infantino related to his abandoned World Cup commercial rights plan. Infantino withdrew the plan on August 1 after backlash, and UEFA is considering filing a criminal complaint in Switzerland against him for alleged criminal mismanagement. The court has not yet ruled on UEFA’s discovery application or the intervention motion, and Infantino is set to run for a fourth term in FIFA’s presidential elections in March.

The French Football Federation (FFF) has unanimously decided to withdraw its support for Gianni Infantino's re-election bid as FIFA chief, citing a broken trust in his leadership. Infantino's proposal to sell a 20% stake in FIFA competitions, including the World Cup, faced widespread opposition and ultimately collapsed, leading to criticisms of FIFA's governance. The FIFA presidential election is scheduled for March 18, 2027, with a deadline for candidacies set for November 18, and Infantino continues to have support from South America's CONMEBOL and Africa's CAF.

The European Union's sports commissioner, Glenn Micallef, criticized FIFA's now-aborted plans to sell 20% of the World Cup's commercial rights to private investors, calling it an example of poor governance and commercialization harming football. Additionally, the human rights group FairSquare has submitted a complaint against FIFA President Gianni Infantino with over 100,000 signatures, detailing allegations of ethics violations, including the controversial privatization attempts. Despite the backlash, Infantino has announced his intention to run for a fourth term as FIFA president in March.

FIFA president Gianni Infantino is facing significant pressure and a potential criminal case following his failed proposal to sell World Cup rights to private investors for $20 billion, which would have provided $20 million to each of FIFA's 211 member federations. Despite the turmoil, Infantino avoided discussing his future or re-election upon his arrival at the Under-20 Women’s World Cup in Poland, stating, "There will be a right place and a right time" for such conversations. UEFA, supported by various confederations, has been actively seeking to oust Infantino, filing legal actions related to his controversial plan which was abandoned just four days after being announced.

FIFA accused UEFA of launching a "smear campaign" against it and President Gianni Infantino in response to UEFA's legal actions related to FIFA's plans to sell a stake in its commercial rights. UEFA threatened to boycott the FIFA World Cup if these plans proceeded, leading to demands for Infantino’s resignation as several football confederations, including UEFA, CONCACAF, and the AFC, have expressed their opposition to his leadership, while only the South American and African confederations support him. FIFA requested a postponement of the discovery process, arguing that UEFA's legal moves are merely efforts to undermine FIFA's authority.

FIFA accused UEFA of conducting a "smear campaign" against its President Gianni Infantino following a dispute over FIFA's plan to sell a stake in its commercial rights, which UEFA challenged through a legal application in the US for documents related to potential criminal proceedings. UEFA criticized the lack of consultation with FIFA's 211 member associations regarding the FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE), threatening to boycott future World Cup events if the plan proceeds. Pressure on Infantino's leadership has intensified, with three confederations, including UEFA and CONCACAF, opposing his reelection for a fourth term in March 2027, while only the South American and African confederations continue to support him.

FIFA has accused UEFA of a "smear campaign" after UEFA requested US judges to compel FIFA to disclose documents related to its abandoned plan to sell stakes in the World Cup to investors, which was revealed in July and subsequently faced backlash, including potential UEFA boycotts. UEFA is pursuing legal action against FIFA President Gianni Infantino for alleged "criminal mismanagement" and has filed requests in three US states to obtain relevant documents, aiming to take further legal steps in Switzerland if successful. FIFA's filings argue that UEFA lacks the legal standing to demand such documents as no criminal proceedings exist and claim that the release of sensitive information would threaten FIFA's interests.