Infantino faces 106-vote test as UEFA steps up pressure on FIFA chief

Pressure on FIFA president Gianni Infantino has intensified despite his decision to withdraw plans to sell a stake in the commercial rights to the World Cup, with UEFA reportedly considering an attempt to bring his leadership to an end.

The Daily Telegraph reported on Saturday that UEFA had issued Infantino with an ultimatum, urging him to resign or face action by FIFA’s member associations to trigger a no-confidence vote.

The proposed challenge would rely on Article 25 of FIFA’s statutes. Under that provision, the FIFA Council must call an extraordinary congress if at least one-fifth of the organisation’s member associations submit a written request.

With FIFA comprising 211 national associations, that threshold is 43 members.

UEFA alone has 55 member associations, meaning it would have enough support to meet the requirement if all of them backed such a request. According to French newspaper L’Equipe, an extraordinary congress would then have to take place within three months of the written request being received.

If the congress is convened, all 211 FIFA member associations would be entitled to vote. Removing the FIFA president would require a simple majority of valid votes, meaning at least 106 votes.

The dispute follows Infantino’s controversial proposal to sell part of the commercial rights linked to the World Cup. The plan was withdrawn after strong criticism, but the decision has not ended concerns among a number of national associations about the direction of FIFA under his leadership.

L’Equipe reported that 143 national associations had previously opposed the rights proposal. That figure included all 55 UEFA members, 47 associations from the Asian Football Confederation and 41 from the Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football.

However, opposition to the commercial rights project would not automatically translate into support for removing Infantino if a formal vote were held. Each association would make its own decision at an extraordinary congress, and the 106-vote threshold would still need to be reached.

UEFA has previously said it had lost confidence in Infantino. The latest reports suggest the European governing body is prepared to maintain its pressure on the FIFA president, even after the proposed World Cup rights transaction was abandoned.

Infantino’s position therefore remains under scrutiny, with the next stage depending on whether enough FIFA member associations submit the written request required to force an extraordinary congress. Should that happen, the future of the FIFA president would be decided by a vote involving the organisation’s full membership.