FIFA has defended Gianni Infantino as opposition grows over his failed investment plan, with UEFA and other football leaders questioning his leadership. 

FIFA has launched a strong defence of president Gianni Infantino as the growing backlash over his failed investment plan threatens to develop into the biggest leadership crisis of his presidency. 

The governing body accused unnamed critics of mounting a “concerted and ongoing effort” to undermine Infantino and insisted that any attempt to challenge him must follow FIFA’s established rules.

The statement comes after Infantino’s controversial plan to create the FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE), a commercial subsidiary that would allow private investors to buy stakes in the future revenues of the World Cup and other major competitions. 

The proposal was intended to raise around $4.2 billion, but triggered fierce opposition from UEFA, national associations and senior figures within FIFA before eventually being withdrawn.

Rather than ending the controversy, the collapse of the FFE proposal has created further problems for Infantino. UEFA has withdrawn its confidence in the FIFA president, while several football officials have publicly criticised the way the plan was developed and communicated. The crisis has also raised questions about Infantino’s position ahead of FIFA’s next presidential election.

FIFA Defends Infantino Amid Growing Opposition

FIFA’s latest statement was particularly forceful, warning that those without the backing of its member associations should not attempt to remove Infantino through allegations or misinformation. The organisation said it would challenge reports it considers inaccurate and stressed that the president was democratically elected by FIFA’s 211 member associations.

FIFA statement, attributable to FIFA spokesperson:

Echoing the recent statements of CONMEBOL and CAF, as well as discussions with FIFA Member Associations and Confederations from around the world, FIFA will not support, facilitate or tolerate any process concerning the election…

— FIFA Media (@fifamedia) August 8, 2026

The governing body also pointed to a crisis meeting held in Morocco, where FIFA apologised to its members over mistakes made in handling the investment proposal. Following the meeting, FIFA said its leadership had reaffirmed its support for Infantino, providing the Swiss-Italian with an important show of strength at a difficult moment.

However, the opposition to Infantino is becoming increasingly visible. 

UEFA has said it no longer has confidence in his leadership, while Norwegian Football Federation president Lise Klaveness has called for him to resign. Reports concerning payments made by UEFA to a former employee during Infantino’s time as UEFA general secretary have added another layer to the dispute, although Infantino has denied wrongdoing and FIFA has rejected the allegations.

Infantino can still point to significant support elsewhere in world football. The Confederation of African Football unanimously backed him, while South America’s CONMEBOL rejected any attempt to remove him without a vote involving all FIFA members. 

Mexico’s football federation has also insisted that any challenge must take place within FIFA’s formal institutional framework, despite CONCACAF calling for a wider examination of Infantino’s presidency.