Infantino's Gamble Unravels
In a hastily arranged summit in Rabat, Gianni Infantino confronted the fallout of a proposal that would have handed private investors a 20% stake in the tournament’s commercial revenues, a move that promised a $4.2 billion influx but was quickly condemned for threatening the sport’s integrity.
The scheme was tied to a company with links to former U.S. president Donald Trump, and its very existence sparked accusations that FIFA was trying to sell the soul of football to the highest bidder.
European football’s governing body, UEFA, joined forces with CONCACAF and the Asian Football Confederation in warning that they would either paralyze FIFA or launch their own rival tournaments unless Infantino abandoned the deal.
Facing this coordinated pressure, Infantino turned to African federations, especially Morocco, hoping to secure enough votes to survive a March congress where no clear challenger has emerged.
The backlash also prompted senior adviser Carlos Cordeiro to resign in protest, while former Arsenal manager Arsène Wenger publicly distanced himself from the plan, underscoring the breadth of dissent.
The episode has turned the upcoming FIFA congress into a test of Infantino’s grip on power, with the smallest member, San Marino, wielding the same vote as traditional powerhouses, while whispers of a breakaway league grow louder.