Infantino Will Stand Again as FIFA Splits Over World Cup Sell-Off

Infantino refused to answer questions about his future when asked by reporters at the Women's Under-20 World Cup in Poland on Saturday, according to reports published 6 September 2026.

The answer came instead from headquarters. A FIFA spokesperson said the president had announced in April that he will stand for re-election in 2027 and that nothing had changed. The line was identical across outlets on Sunday: Mr Infantino will be standing for re-election.

That confirmation turns a governance row into an election fight. Infantino, 56, has held the role since 2016. If re-elected at the FIFA Congress in Morocco next March, he would serve until 2031. Challengers have until 18 November to declare. UEFA has already promised to work with other federations to find what it calls a credible alternative.

Silence in Poland, statement from FIFA

The setting was the Women's Under-20 World Cup in Poland, where reporters pressed Infantino on his future. BBC Sport reported he refused to answer questions about his future. Sky Sports reported he would not be drawn on questions about his future and the row with UEFA.

FIFA filled the gap. Its statement repeated the April announcement of a 2027 run and added that nothing had changed. ESPN, carrying PA reporting on 6 September, quoted the same formulation word for word.

The timing is the point. The Guardian reported on 6 September that this was the first time since the investment plan became public that FIFA had reiterated Infantino's intention to run for a fourth term. The election is due in March 2027 and, as the only declared candidate so far, Infantino would need a simple majority from the 211 affiliated federations to extend a tenure that began in 2016. Nominations must be submitted by 18 November.

Sky Sports reported that Infantino is likely to face a challenger. The Guardian named Concacaf president Victor Montagliani, a FIFA vice-president, as the likeliest potential rival, while noting that Montagliani had long been regarded as a close ally of Infantino before distancing himself over the investment proposal.

The deal that started the fight

The controversy centres on the FIFA Forward Enterprise, known as FFE. Under the proposal, FIFA would have created a new commercial subsidiary and sold a stake to private investors. Thrive Capital, overseen by Joshua Kushner, had been set to be the lead investor, with related requests also naming JP Morgan and adviser Greg Maffei, according to reports of the court filings.

The numbers cited in the filings are large and contested. BBC Sport reported that Thrive had held talks about heading up a 4.2 billion dollar investment in 20 percent of the new subsidiary. Sky News reporting, cited by Sky Sports, referred to a 20 billion dollar World Cup subsidiary concept and to plans in June to start receiving up to 4.2 billion dollars from private investors in October. FIFA claimed at the time that FFE would have increased funding to each national association for the 2027 to 2030 cycle from 5.9 million pounds to 14.7 million pounds.

UEFA's version is harsher. In filings made in the United States, UEFA accused Infantino of criminal mismanagement and of pursuing what it called a fraudulently off-market price promoted for his own benefit. It also argued that the World Cup had been deliberately undervalued at about 15 billion pounds, a figure it said was neither the product of an open competitive auction nor tested by any independent valuer, and that Infantino had failed to consult FIFA's hierarchy.

The plan did not survive contact with its audience. FIFA withdrew the proposal on 1 August, just days after it was made public, after intense pushback, according to ESPN. UEFA had threatened to boycott all FIFA competitions, including the World Cup. Last month, according to Sky Sports, European nations withdrew that boycott threat after receiving assurances that such attempts would not be repeated. Kushner later expressed regret about the episode, saying his firm stood behind the motivations of FFE but had failed to appreciate the political dynamics of global football.

American courts, Swiss threat

UEFA filed four separate requests for subpoena in different US courts at the end of August, according to The Guardian's 3 September report. The requests sought documents and communications from FIFA as well as from Kushner and Thrive Capital, plus other related parties. ESPN reported that filings were made in New York, Florida and Colorado, with the Colorado filing directed at adviser Greg Maffei and the Florida filing connected to FIFA's 2026 World Cup operational base.

The stated purpose was preparation for potential criminal proceedings in Switzerland, where FIFA has its headquarters. UEFA said it was contemplating initiating criminal proceedings against Infantino over the FFE plan. FIFA intervened in the Florida filing, a request granted late last week before the 3 September reports, and then filed to oppose or delay discovery.

FIFA's language was blunt. In filings seen by the BBC and quoted in New York and Colorado, its lawyers called UEFA's applications little more than press releases in further support of a smear campaign against FIFA and its leadership. Attorney H Christopher Boehning, acting for FIFA, argued that the request should be delayed or denied because UEFA did not have active legal proceedings against FIFA in Switzerland and lacked authority to initiate them.

FIFA also argued that discovery would expose information it is obligated to keep confidential under its governing rules, and that disputes with UEFA should be resolved through arbitration under FIFA statutes rather than in courts. UEFA declined to comment on the filings, but BBC Sport reported that insiders believe that if FIFA has nothing to hide it should disclose the documents and speed up the process. The same sentiment was reported by Sky Sports News from UEFA sources.

Opposition and backing

UEFA has led calls for Infantino to step down, with further opposition reported from the confederations representing Asia and North and Central America plus the Caribbean. FIFA vice-presidents in Asia, Europe and North America have attacked Infantino, according to Sky Sports, and UEFA has said it will join forces with partner confederations to offer members an alternative committed to integrity, accountability and institutional change.

But the incumbent starts with a base. Saudi Arabia, the 2034 men's World Cup host, came out in support last month, according to The Guardian, with African football's governing body CAF and South America's CONMEBOL also described as supportive. Infantino has used recent trips to stress how FIFA has raised money and invested it in football associations, each of which carries an equal vote in the presidential election.

FIFA's counter framing in the US filing is economic as well as legal. It claimed UEFA's motivation was to prevent smaller countries gaining the financial strength to compete with the European elite, arguing that strengthening football in the developing world would increase global competition and reduce UEFA's market power and competition for its flagship tournaments. The filing quoted Cameroon federation president Samuel Eto'o in support, describing him only as one of the greatest African players in history.

What is known about the next steps is limited to dates and stated positions. Infantino is described as the only declared candidate so far. Candidate nominations must be submitted by 18 November. UEFA has described its Swiss move as contemplated criminal proceedings, while FIFA disputes UEFA's authority to bring such proceedings and has asked US courts to defer or deny discovery. The Congress in Morocco in March, with votes from 211 federations, is presented as the forum where the re-election bid to serve until 2031 will be tested.

Source records

The sources below were retrieved for this article. Reposts and mirrors may share the same reporting.

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