UEFA, CONCACAF and AFC accuse Infantino of 'breach of trust'

Nordic federations lose confidence in FIFA President Infantino amid governance crisis

Six Nordic national football associations — Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden and the Faroe Islands — issued a rare joint statement on Sunday declaring they had “lost confidence” in FIFA President Gianni Infantino, piling more pressure on the embattled leader.

The associations met in Helsinki and said they “view the organization’s governance and decision-making at the highest level with great concern.” They stood united with European confederation UEFA and supported calls by UEFA, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and CONCACAF for Infantino’s resignation and an independent investigation into the now-abandoned proposal to sell a minority stake in a new FIFA commercial entity to private investors.

“We expect FIFA to provide binding guarantees that the organization’s governance or competitions will never again be opened up to private ownership,” the Nordic associations said in their statement. They also called for a “comprehensive and independent review” of FIFA’s governance framework.

The Nordic statement adds momentum to a widening revolt against Infantino, who is under pressure from three continental confederations — UEFA, AFC and CONCACAF — which have accused him of a “fundamental breach of trust” over the collapsed commercial plan. Regional powerhouses are reportedly discussing whether to move a vote of no confidence in Infantino ahead of his expected re-election bid in 2027.

Denmark’s football association (DBU) had already pledged on Friday to find a credible alternative to Infantino. FIFA did not respond to requests for comment from several news organizations, including Al Jazeera and Reuters.

Infantino defends record in Dominican Republic

While the storm gathered, Infantino traveled to the Dominican Republic at the weekend to meet members of the Caribbean Football Union (CFU), an affiliate of CONCACAF. In a video interview released by FIFA on Sunday, he said it was FIFA’s job to close the gap between wealthy members and those with few financial resources, adding that some prosperous federations did not want others to grow.

“Some, unfortunately, don’t need and they don’t want that others grow, but we need to narrow this gap between the big, big countries and all the others,” Infantino said, according to quotes carried by Reuters and other outlets.

He also expressed happiness with his reception at the CFU under-14 Challenge Series, saying it was important “to engage, to have a dialogue, to express views and opinions.”

However, CONCACAF President Victor Montagliani had written to Infantino before the visit, asking him to stay away from the youth tournament. In a letter dated Friday and seen by Reuters, Montagliani cited the “governance crisis surrounding FIFA” and said Infantino’s presence would overshadow the event, as “the media will focus on this situation, which will unfortunately significantly take away from the technical nature of the CFU youth competition.”

Infantino ignored the request and was received in Punta Cana by Dominican Republic’s Minister of Sports Kelvin Cruz, who said “we deeply appreciate your visit,” according to Reuters.

Background: the abandoned investment plan

The crisis stems from Infantino’s proposal to form a subsidiary arm of FIFA and sell a minority stake to private investors — a move that would have delivered up to $40 million to each of the 211 member federations. The plan was abandoned within days after a global backlash, but the three confederations said FIFA failed to acknowledge that the proposal itself was inherently wrong.

An open letter published last week by UEFA, CONCACAF and AFC heads accused Infantino of bypassing the FIFA Council and holding a summit in Morocco with only selected figures. It said: “It is not the conduct of a custodian of the game, but of one who believes the game is answerable to him.”

Infantino still retains significant support, notably from Africa’s CAF and several Arab associations including Qatar and Morocco. Argentina and Mexico have also backed him, breaking ranks with CONCACAF’s united front. CAF President Patrice Motsepe said Infantino has Africa’s support.

No challenger has stepped forward ahead of the November 18 nomination deadline for the FIFA presidential election, scheduled for March 2027. However, a senior figure told Reuters, “There is no way out. Either he goes the peaceful way and decides not to stand in March or he goes the hard way,” referring to a possible no-confidence vote.

FIFA’s statutes contain no specific provision for a no-confidence vote, but the Council can convene an Extraordinary Congress if at least one-fifth of members request it.

Fans and sponsors stay silent, but pressure mounts

Fans’ groups worldwide have launched a petition on change.org calling for Infantino’s resignation and wholesale reform of FIFA. The statement said his plan was “a betrayal football will never forget” and that “a president who repeatedly betrays football and makes a mockery of our game has lost the right to lead it.” Ronan Evain, executive director of Football Supporters Europe, said the departure of Infantino was “a first and a must.”

FIFA’s crisis deepened with the departure of Chief Operating Officer Kevin Lamour, who said staff had been “deceived.” FIFA Vice President Sandor Csanyi withdrew support, calling Lamour’s departure the “final straw.” European Football Clubs (EFC) have aligned with UEFA and could refuse to participate in Club World Cups.

No FIFA sponsor has publicly criticized Infantino yet, and FIFA’s revenue for 2023-2026 is expected to exceed $15 billion.

Infantino, meanwhile, has not directly responded to the calls for his resignation. When asked by a Sky News reporter whether he had betrayed football, he replied: “You have a nice haircut. Thank you so much.” As the reporter pressed on, Infantino said: “I’ll see you at the hairdressers.”