A contested vision for football's future
During his decade at the helm, Gianni Infantino championed an expansive agenda that sought to broaden the sport’s reach, investing in development projects across continents and reshaping financial structures to benefit member associations.
His native Argentina has publicly praised this period, describing it as a time of transparent governance and tangible progress for the global game.
European football’s governing body, UEFA, has emerged as a leading critic, characterising the proposed Fifa Forward Enterprise as opaque and declaring that it has lost confidence in Infantino’s leadership.
In a formal letter of withdrawal, the English Football Association announced that it was pulling its support for the initiative, signalling a decisive break with the president’s reform agenda.
National associations from Wales, Albania and Croatia have also moved to distance themselves from Infantino, reflecting a growing scepticism toward his governance model.
The Confederation of African Football, by contrast, has remained steadfast in its endorsement, with CAF’s president affirming full support for Infantino’s leadership and highlighting the benefits of his development programmes.
The Asian Football Confederation initially aligned with UEFA and CONCACAF in opposition, but later withdrew its backing, illustrating the fluid nature of alliances within world football.
Faced with the mounting criticism, Infantino issued an apology for past errors and acknowledged the concerns raised by various football associations.