- FIFPRO Accuses Infantino of ‘Abuse of Presidential Power’ as UEFA Boycott of FIFA Tournaments Holds
The governance crisis engulfing FIFA President Gianni Infantino has deepened after the world players’ union FIFPRO accused him of an “abuse of presidential power”, while UEFA confirmed that its threatened boycott of FIFA competitions remains in force and the English Football Association formally withdrew support for his re-election.
The confrontation follows the collapse of FIFA’s controversial plan to sell stakes in a new company that would have controlled commercial rights linked to major competitions, including the World Cup.
Although FIFA abandoned the proposal on August 1 after intense opposition, the withdrawal has failed to calm critics who argue that the episode exposed deeper structural weaknesses in how the governing body is run.
FIFPRO said the problem went far beyond the abandoned transaction itself, arguing that the process revealed fundamental failings in transparency, consultation and institutional checks on presidential authority.
“The abuse of power that produced it is not [gone],” the union said, adding that the episode represented “a profound abuse of presidential power”.
The players’ body is now demanding legally binding engagement with professional football stakeholders on major decisions, including the international match calendar and the expansion of FIFA competitions.
It is also seeking voting rights for professional football stakeholders on the FIFA Council and structural reforms designed to prevent any one individual from driving major decisions through the organisation without broader scrutiny.
UEFA, which had already warned that its 55 member associations could boycott FIFA competitions, said the conditions required for it to reverse that position had not been met.
European football’s governing body had demanded both the withdrawal of the investment proposal and assurances that similar attempts to radically reshape ownership and control of FIFA competitions would not be repeated.
While the first condition has been satisfied, UEFA said its loss of confidence in Infantino remains unchanged.
“That position holds,” UEFA said, rejecting the significance of FIFA’s management board publicly reaffirming support for the president.
The first practical test of the threatened boycott could come as early as September at the FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup in Poland.
Further tests could follow in October during qualification play-offs for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup involving England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.
The English FA has also formally withdrawn its support for Infantino’s expected bid for re-election in March 2027. That move adds to mounting opposition from national associations and senior figures in football, even as FIFA’s internal leadership continues to back him.
FIFA’s management board reaffirmed its “full support” for Infantino following a seven-hour crisis meeting in Morocco, despite the president having been forced to abandon the investment plan and apologise for mistakes in how it was handled.
The proposed structure had attracted criticism after it emerged that national associations had not been consulted before being asked to consider a major commercial restructuring of FIFA’s competitions.
Sky Sports reported that associations were also given a tight timetable and a promised financial incentive to support the plan, intensifying concerns over both process and governance.
FIFA later acknowledged that member associations should have been handled differently and said errors were made after details of the proposal leaked to the media. The governing body has promised an internal review, with findings expected to be presented to the FIFA Council.
FIFPRO, however, argues that an internal review alone is insufficient. The players’ union said FIFA could not restore confidence simply through carefully worded statements or internal processes, particularly when the same governance structures that allowed the proposal to advance remain in place.
“No institution can restore confidence in a presidency that has itself dismantled the conditions upon which confidence depends,” FIFPRO said.
The confrontation is especially significant because FIFPRO represents more than 70,000 professional footballers through 70 national players’ unions worldwide. Its intervention therefore broadens the dispute beyond confederations and national associations into the player-representation structure of the global game.
The crisis is also exposing deep divisions within world football. While UEFA has taken the strongest institutional position against Infantino, the Confederation of African Football has moved in the opposite direction. CAF “unanimously reconfirmed” its support for the FIFA president and thanked him for his contribution to African football, according to Sky Sports.
European football authorities are openly questioning Infantino’s legitimacy and threatening non-participation in FIFA competitions, while CAF has rallied behind him. The debate therefore extends beyond one abandoned commercial proposal.
It is becoming a wider contest over how FIFA should be governed, who should have a voice in decisions affecting global football and how much authority should sit with the president.
The union wants permanent representation for professional football stakeholders, stronger institutional safeguards and formal constraints against unilateral decision-making.
Its position is that the failure of the proposed FIFA Forward Enterprise is evidence that the current governance model is not strong enough to prevent major decisions from being developed behind closed doors.
The abandoned proposal would have created a new commercial vehicle for FIFA competitions and opened it to private investors.
Critics feared that such a move could permanently alter the ownership and commercial governance of tournaments built around national teams and player participation.
UEFA launched a public attack on July 28, its 55 member associations voted two days later to boycott the World Cup if the plans proceeded, and Infantino adviser Carlos Cordeiro resigned on July 31, describing the proposal as irresponsible.
FIFA abandoned the plan on August 1 before it reached a formal vote. Since then, however, the controversy has shifted from the proposal itself to Infantino’s leadership.
The English and Welsh football associations have withdrawn support, UEFA says it has lost confidence in him, FIFPRO is demanding structural reform and prominent football figures have joined calls for change.
Yet Infantino remains in office, supported by FIFA’s management board and key confederations including CAF.
That leaves world football facing a potentially prolonged institutional standoff. The immediate issue is whether UEFA will follow through on its boycott threat. The deeper issue is whether the pressure now building from players, national associations and confederations becomes strong enough to force fundamental governance reform inside FIFA.
For now, the collapse of the investment proposal has not ended the crisis.
