Claudius Schafer, who heads Europe’s professional football leagues, declared that Gianni Infantino’s grip on the presidency of FIFA can no longer be taken for granted.
The comment came after Infantino’s proposal to auction off exclusive commercial rights to the World Cup was abandoned in the face of a coordinated outcry from regional football bodies.
Schafer argued that the scheme, which promised massive financial windfalls for external investors, ignored the broader social and sporting implications of reshaping the tournament’s revenue model.
A Plan That Missed the Mark
Both UEFA and CONCACAF, the two continental confederations that traditionally back Infantino, publicly withdrew their confidence, signalling that the plan had alienated key allies.
The European Leagues, representing the top domestic championships, voiced concern that the proposal would cram additional matches into an already overloaded international calendar, threatening the integrity of national competitions.
Schafer also pointed out that the FIFA Council, the body charged with overseeing the sport’s global governance, was never consulted, underscoring the unilateral nature of the decision.
In his view, the episode reveals a deeper fracture: a leadership style that privileges private profit over collective stewardship, leaving the future of Infantino’s tenure in doubt.