What will happen next as UEFA, AFC, and CONCACAF unite to demand Gianni Infantino's resignation as FIFA president?"Football Forward Enterprise (FFE)" plan failure sparks calls for his departure.
On 11 Aug 2026 GMT+7, UEFA, AFC, and CONCACAF jointly pushed for Gianni Infantino to resign as FIFA president after issuing an open letter calling for “a leader who serves football, not one who seeks to control it.”
The escalating conflict threatens to deeply divide world football, intensifying sharply after details of FIFA president Infantino's failed Football Forward Enterprise (FFE) plan were revealed.
The three organizations accused Infantino of "destroying trust through deception."
Additionally, the three confederations have begun preliminary talks on organizing new competitions, alongside UEFA's threat to boycott or refuse participation in FIFA activities and tournaments.
Given the current situation, the upcoming FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup in September may proceed without European teams, and alternative options for the tournament are being considered.
The letter was signed by Aleksander Čeferin, UEFA president; Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa, AFC president; and Victor Montagliani, CONCACAF president.
The letter stated, “Leadership in football is not something to possess; it is not about seizing or claiming power for oneself but about serving the football family that entrusts its leaders.”
“When trust is destroyed by deception and a person places themselves above those who granted authority, that duty has been abandoned.”
Subsequently, Gianni Infantino apologized for his actions, but the apology appeared not to express genuine remorse regarding the FFE plan.
The letter noted, “FIFA treats this as merely a communication failure, whereas what football has witnessed is a failure of decision-making.”
“FIFA has not admitted from the outset that the proposal was flawed, and to this day has not acknowledged that attempts to sell partial rights or benefits of the FIFA World Cup represent a major decision failure, not just procedural error, but a severe breach of trust toward the institutions FIFA is meant to serve.”
However, the presidents of the three confederations also called for an independent investigation by an external body outside football to examine the matter.
Meanwhile, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) and South America's CONMEBOL, both influential confederations, have recently expressed support for Gianni Infantino.
Recently, several major member nations sent letters to Infantino requesting a meeting where he must explain his actions regarding the FFE plan, but so far, no response has been received. Moreover, Infantino has not contacted various football associations to clarify his key role in the ongoing turmoil.
Currently, Infantino has not resigned and is unlikely to do so under pressure, having affirmed he will remain in office until the end of his term. The decisive moment will come when the 211 FIFA member nations vote on his presidency at the FIFA Congress in Morocco on 17 Mar 2027 GMT+7. This event will include the election for FIFA president unless an Extraordinary Congress is convened earlier.
An Extraordinary Congress can be convened only if either the FIFA Council, which has 37 members, calls for it or at least 20% of the 211 member countries—that is, 43 nations—submit a written request for such a meeting.
If no emergency congress is called, candidates wishing to run against Infantino in the March election have until 18 Nov 2026 GMT+7 to register.
According to FIFA rules, each member nation has one equal vote regardless of the country's size, population, influence, or football achievements.
The FIFA president can serve a maximum of three consecutive terms and cannot exceed this limit.
Infantino has already been re-elected twice in uncontested elections in 2019 and 2023.
Prior to that, he served an additional three years after replacing Sepp Blatter amid FIFA's major corruption scandal, but this period is not counted as a full presidential term.
Candidates challenging Infantino must be endorsed by at least five member nations to qualify.
If only one candidate runs against Infantino, that candidate must secure at least 50% of the 211 votes to win.
If more than two candidates run, a runoff vote will be held to narrow the field to the final two, who will then compete in the final election round.