Infantino’s FIFA presidency ‘untenable’ after failed World Cup rights plan

Zurich – Gianni Infantino’s position as FIFA president is “untenable” after his abandoned plan to sell a stake in the commercial rights to the World Cup, according to the head of the organisation representing Europe’s professional football leagues.

Claudius Schafer, chief executive of the Swiss Football League and head of European Leagues, said there could be “only one consequence” for Infantino after the proposal provoked widespread opposition from regional football bodies.

“When I saw how this whole thing unfolded and that Fifa’s key bodies weren’t involved, then there’s essentially only one consequence in any company or association,” Schafer told Swiss newspaper SonntagsZeitung.

Asked whether that meant Infantino was no longer acceptable as FIFA president, Schafer replied: “This is usually the consequence when someone in a company pushes such a business deal forward without anyone knowing about it.”

FIFA said on Friday that it had abandoned the proposal following a broad backlash. The plan had involved selling a stake in the commercial rights to the World Cup.

The controversy deepened on Saturday when UEFA and CONCACAF said they had lost confidence in Infantino’s leadership.

European Leagues represents 53 professional men’s and women’s football leagues. Schafer said the proposal gave the impression that FIFA’s priority was to increase profits for third parties by staging more competitions and making existing tournaments larger in the future.

“It’s solely about the financial advantages; everything else is completely ignored,” he said.

Concerns over football’s crowded calendar

Schafer said European Leagues had opposed the plan because any expansion of the international calendar would mean additional fixtures for clubs and players, placing further pressure on national championships.

The organisation believes the football schedule is already congested, and that adding more matches would come at the expense of domestic competitions.

Schafer also criticised the way the proposal had been developed, saying key FIFA decision-makers had not been consulted before it was put forward.

“Nobody knew about the plans, not even the Fifa Council, the governing body of Fifa. I was very surprised that the president was acting completely alone in this matter.”

The comments represent one of the strongest public criticisms of Infantino since FIFA confirmed that the commercial rights proposal had been withdrawn. UEFA, European football’s governing body, and CONCACAF, which oversees football in North and Central America and the Caribbean, have also publicly challenged his leadership.

Infantino became FIFA president in 2016 and was re-elected in 2019 and 2023. The latest dispute has centred on the proposed commercial arrangement and its possible implications for the international football calendar, as well as the lack of involvement by FIFA’s own governing bodies.

Schafer’s comments were reported on Sunday by Reuters.