According to a BBC Sport report, Gianni Infantino's grip on the FIFA presidency has been shaken after his controversial attempt to sell stakes in FIFA competitions to private investment firms without the apparent knowledge of football's governing bodies. The move has sparked fierce opposition from UEFA, Concacaf and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), with UEFA even threatening to boycott all FIFA competitions, including the World Cup. While Infantino has since backtracked, confidence in his leadership has taken a major hit.
Extraordinary FIFA Congress: If 43 of FIFA's 211 member associations formally request it, an extraordinary congress must be convened. UEFA alone has 55 member associations, meaning it can trigger the process whenever it chooses. A vote of no confidence would require 106 votes to succeed, although securing that support would be far from straightforward. While 136 associations opposed Infantino's investment proposal, that does not necessarily mean they would vote to remove him. Qatar has already publicly backed Infantino, while Mexico has distanced itself from Concacaf's joint criticism.
Resignation: The quickest route would be for Infantino to resign, as his predecessor Sepp Blatter did in 2015. However, he is expected to try to remain in office until the FIFA presidential election in March, where he is seeking a fourth and final term.
Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa (AFC president): Another strong candidate after leading the AFC's criticism of Infantino's investment plan. First elected in 2013 and re-elected unopposed for a fourth term through 2027, he commands the backing of the AFC's 46 member associations.
Far from certain: Despite the mounting pressure, Infantino's removal is by no means guaranteed. In most organisations, the fallout from the controversy would likely have ended a leader's tenure, but football politics often work differently.
Previous precedent: Sepp Blatter was re-elected as FIFA president just a week before resigning in 2015 amid a corruption scandal, showing that strong backing can quickly unravel — but only under sustained pressure.
Repairing alliances: Infantino has pledged to "bring all interested parties back together in the coming days and weeks" and appears to be trying to rebuild support. After Qatar publicly backed him, 2030 World Cup co-host Morocco also voiced its support, while Egypt praised him for abandoning the investment plan.
Race to 106 votes: Any vote of no confidence is at least three months away, giving Infantino time to win back member associations. The longer the process takes, the greater his chance of convincing former allies that the failed investment proposal was an isolated mistake rather than a broader leadership issue.
UEFA's challenge: UEFA's priority will be to keep pressure on FIFA and persuade enough federations that Infantino's position has become untenable, potentially forcing him to resign before any formal vote.
