FIFA investment plan reignites power struggle between UEFA and world football’s leaders

Aleksander Ceferin has emerged as the leading opponent of Gianni Infantino’s plans to open global football competitions to private investors, a proposal that could allow stakes in the commercial value of the World Cup to be sold.

The dispute has brought the UEFA president into another direct confrontation with his FIFA counterpart and is now focused on the wider question of how international football should be run, rather than on one competition or regulation.

All 55 UEFA member associations have unanimously agreed to threaten a boycott of FIFA competitions if the investment project goes ahead. Ceferin views the stand as a defence of the European football model and a rejection of the idea that the sport should be turned into a commodity for investors.

The Slovenian lawyer began his career in sports law before becoming president of the Football Association of Slovenia. He was elected UEFA president in 2016, the same year Infantino became FIFA president.

The two men had previously worked together at UEFA, but their relationship gradually developed into a struggle over the future direction of international football and its commercial development, according to the Daily Mail.

Their latest disagreement follows several earlier clashes. Ceferin has strongly criticised FIFA’s handling of some issues surrounding the 2026 World Cup, as well as organisational changes such as mandatory hydration breaks.

He has also opposed plans to expand the World Cup to 64 teams, describing the proposal as “bad”.

The expanded FIFA Club World Cup has added to tensions. UEFA has regarded the tournament as a threat to the Champions League, particularly with the football calendar already crowded and players facing increasing physical demands.

Ceferin has repeatedly warned that adding more matches conflicts with efforts to protect footballers. “The calendar is excessively saturated.. the players are overloaded and are suffering injuries,” he said.

The commercial dispute between the two presidents also stretches back several years. In 2018, Ceferin accused Infantino of “selling the soul of football”, adding: “Money does not rule.. football is not for sale.”

In 2021, Ceferin led UEFA’s opposition to the European Super League, a breakaway project co-founded by major clubs including Real Madrid, Barcelona and Manchester United. He defended open competition and sporting merit at the time, describing the proposal as “a spit in the face of football fans and society as a whole”.

Relations deteriorated further at FIFA’s annual congress last May, when Infantino arrived more than two hours late after accompanying Donald Trump on a diplomatic tour of the Middle East.

During the break, Ceferin led several representatives of European associations out of the congress. They accused Infantino of placing “private political interests” ahead of football governance, an allegation rejected by the FIFA president.

Ceferin has presented himself as a defender of football’s independence from commercial and political interests, although his own career has not been free of controversy.

A media investigation in 2017 alleged that he had not met the experience requirements needed to become president of the Football Association of Slovenia. The claims did not prevent him from later rising to the UEFA presidency.

With the dispute over FIFA Forward Enterprise intensifying, the relationship between Ceferin and Infantino appears to have entered a new phase. This time, the disagreement is not simply about a tournament or a set of regulations, but about who should control global football and who has the right to benefit from its commercial value.