FIFA President Gianni Infantino is fighting to hold onto power after abandoning a proposal to sell a stake in the World Cup. The proposal, which would have raised $4.2 billion from a new commercial rights body, was met with opposition from several regional confederations, including the European confederation UEFA and CONCACAF, which runs the game in North and Central America and the Caribbean.
Opposition Grows
Five European national associations, including England’s FA, have formally withdrawn their backing for Infantino’s reelection at the FIFA Congress in Morocco in March. The federations of Morocco, Qatar, Kuwait, Lebanon, and Sri Lanka have declared their continued support for Infantino, who has run FIFA since 2016 and wants to stay on until 2031.
The Asian confederation (AFC) has called for institutional reform at FIFA, declaring the lack of consultation over the plan ‘totally unacceptable’. According to a report in the Times of London, UEFA, CONCACAF, and the AFC are determined to force Infantino out of office by paralysing FIFA and even starting up their own competitions if he refuses to go.
Original reporting: Appleton, WI News Feed (HLL/CB) — read the source article.
