Uefa maintains stance on Fifa president despite backing from management board

By Sanjay Menon — 6 August 2026 — 3 min read

Uefa’s Continued Stance on Infantino

Uefa has stated that Fifa’s backing of its president, Gianni Infantino, “changes nothing” regarding its position. The European governing body indicated that European teams might still consider boycotting competitions, including the World Cup. This comes after the English FA formally withdrew its support for Infantino’s re-election.

Uefa had previously made clear its conditions for reversing its stance: the proposals to sell stakes in major competitions needed to be withdrawn, and assurances were required that such attempts to “disfigure the game” would not be made again. According to Uefa, these conditions have not been met.

The organisation had already expressed a loss of confidence in Infantino, describing the Fifa Forward Enterprise (FFE) proposal as a “shabby, back room, opaque deal.” Infantino had offered member associations $40m if they supported a plan for private investment in tournaments, including the men’s and women’s World Cups, through the FFE subsidiary.

Fifa’s Response and Internal Reactions

During a meeting in Rabat, Morocco, Fifa acknowledged “mistakes” regarding FFE, stating it was “not the intention” for the Fifa Council and member associations to “feel excluded from the process.” The organisation admitted the process “should have been handled differently.”

Despite this, Uefa’s statement reiterated its position, saying, “Yesterday’s announcement that some people employed by the Fifa president (and whose careers depend on his favour) agree with him changes nothing.” This suggests Uefa views the backing as internal support rather than a broader consensus.

The meeting saw Infantino convene members of the Fifa management board. Secretary general Mattias Grafstrom, who had previously criticised the FFE proposals in an internal memo, was pictured alongside Infantino after the meeting, smiling at a Women’s Africa Cup of Nations match.

However, Kevin Lamour, Fifa’s chief operating officer, who had strongly criticised Infantino’s FFE plan as “the project of one person,” was reportedly not invited to the meeting. Lamour had stated, “I lose my job, then so be it. At least I’ll sleep well tonight.”

The world players’ union, FIFPRO, also condemned what it termed “abuse of presidential power” and called for changes at the top of Fifa. FIFPRO noted Fifa’s statement “with deep concern,” criticising the governing body for enabling the plans to be developed in secrecy.

Potential Boycott and Future Challenges

Uefa’s stance will be tested with the upcoming Fifa Women’s U20s World Cup, scheduled to begin on 5 September in Poland. Six European countries, including England, are expected to participate.

The option of a boycott remains a key asset for Uefa, particularly if it seeks to hold Infantino accountable or push for his departure. However, securing the necessary support for an emergency meeting of the Fifa Council or a vote of no confidence has proven challenging.

Only Jordan, among a few countries, has publicly stated it will not vote for Infantino’s re-election in March. Concacaf, while issuing a statement after the FFE proposal was aborted, did not go as far as Uefa in expressing a loss of confidence in the Fifa president. Conmebol stated it would not support actions disregarding Fifa’s mechanisms before the presidential election.

Some within Uefa believe Infantino’s recent statement shows he is attempting to avoid personal responsibility for the aborted proposals. Conversely, an Infantino loyalist within Fifa reportedly views the outcry, particularly in Europe, as “hysteria” and believes it overlooks his global legitimacy.

FIFPRO further demanded “legally-binding engagement” with professional football stakeholders on issues like the international match calendar and the expansion of Fifa competitions, as well as voting rights on the Fifa Council. The union also called for governance and structural reforms to prevent any individual from making unilateral decisions in the future.

The Football Association formally announced its intention to withdraw support for Infantino’s re-election, with a vote currently scheduled for March 2027.

Source: bbc.com