Infantino faces fresh FIFA dissent as African backing is questioned

Gianni Infantino is facing growing opposition within FIFA after vice-president Sandor Csanyi withdrew his support for the organisation’s president, while claims of unanimous backing from the Confederation of African Football (CAF) have also been challenged.

Csanyi, one of FIFA’s eight vice-presidents, initially supported Infantino but has since changed his position. In a letter, the Hungarian said he believed recent decisions were being driven by political interests rather than the needs of football.

The immediate trigger for his change of stance was the dismissal of Kevin Lamour, FIFA’s director general of operations, who had criticised Infantino.

The development adds to mounting pressure on Infantino, who has been at the centre of controversy in world football in recent weeks. His proposal to partially sell FIFA’s interests in the World Cup has created divisions within the governing body and contributed to a wider debate about his leadership.

Three continental confederations are opposed to Infantino remaining as FIFA president, while three others are understood to support him. CAF has been presented as one of those backing him, but the extent of that support now appears less clear.

CAF said in an official statement that Africa’s football federations unanimously supported Infantino. However, Sport News Africa reported that, apart from CAF president Patrice Motsepe, only four national association presidents had actually expressed support for him.

Those four were Fouzi Lekjaa of Morocco, Ahmed Yahya of Mauritania, Souleiman Waberi of Djibouti and Idriss Diallo of Cote d’Ivoire.

The remaining presidents did not respond and avoided making any public comment. There are 54 African football federations in total.

The distinction between declared support and silence has raised questions about the strength of CAF’s collective position. Its statement described the backing for Infantino as unanimous, but the reported responses suggest that only a small number of association leaders have openly endorsed him.

Infantino has also lost the support of the Israel Football Association. In a letter, the Israeli federation said it supported his resignation.

According to The Guardian, the federation referred to an “crise de confiance sans precedent” – an “unprecedented crisis of confidence”.

The latest developments leave Infantino facing resistance from figures both inside FIFA and among national football organisations. Csanyi’s decision is particularly significant because of his position as a FIFA vice-president and because he had previously supported the president.

The controversy surrounding the proposed partial sale of FIFA’s interests in the World Cup has intensified scrutiny of Infantino’s leadership. Alongside the opposition from three continental confederations, the changing positions of Csanyi and the Israel Football Association point to a broader loss of confidence.

At the same time, CAF’s public declaration remains supportive of Infantino, despite reports that most of its member association presidents have chosen not to comment.