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FIFA President Gianni Infantino announced on July 31, 2026, that a plan to create a subsidiary attracting up to $20 billion in private equity for commercial rights to the World Cup and other tournaments would not proceed. The decision followed immediate and widespread opposition that included a threatened boycott from UEFA, according to ESPN reporting. CONCACAF and the AFC joined in criticism, with the latter stating the episode revealed deeper problems at the governing body. FIFA had projected record revenues exceeding $15 billion for the 2023-2026 cycle, driven largely by the expanded 2026 World Cup, The Guardian reported days earlier.
The AFC said in a statement, “This issue extends far beyond a single proposal. Rather, it has exposed fundamental weaknesses in Fifa’s consultation and decision-making processes that must now be addressed.” Sources told BBC Sport that a vast majority of CONCACAF members have either lost or are losing faith in Infantino’s ability to lead. FIFA’s chief operating officer Kevin Lamour told the Associated Press that the organization’s own administration had been “deceived” about the project. Carlos Cordeiro, a special advisor to Infantino who had been appointed to a White House task force on the 2026 tournament, resigned in protest.
Infantino has led FIFA since defeating Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa by 115 votes to 88 in 2016, a campaign focused on restoring credibility after predecessor Sepp Blatter’s resignation amid corruption allegations. He has been re-elected unopposed twice since then, with more than 200 member associations submitting letters of support for a further term at the March 2027 congress, according to a July 17 Guardian article. At least one UEFA member has since withdrawn its letter of support, BBC Sport reported. Former Football Association chairman David Bernstein told BBC Sport, “In a normal organisation, if he has to back down due to something of this magnitude he’d probably be shown the door. But Fifa is not a normal organisation. If he has the support of enough of the national associations, he will continue.”
Victor Montagliani, the CONCACAF president and co-chair of the 2026 World Cup organizing committee, has surfaced as a potential successor in coverage from Sky News and Yahoo Sports. Elected in 2016 on a governance reform platform, the former Canada Soccer president is fluent in English, French, Italian and Spanish and played a central role in staging the 2024 Copa America. Former FIFA vice-president Jim Boyce told BBC Sport he still expects Infantino to secure re-election but noted the rapid pace of events could change that calculation.
Sheikh Salman, who remains AFC president after winning unopposed for a fourth term running to 2027, oversaw the launch of new Asian club competitions including the Women’s Champions League in the 2024-25 season. Nasser Al-Khelaifi, president of Paris Saint-Germain and chairman of European Football Clubs, which now counts more than 800 member clubs, has been mentioned as a contender but a source close to the Qatari told BBC Sport he has no interest in the FIFA role. FIFA secretary general Mattias Grafstrom, appointed in 2024 after serving as Infantino’s chief of staff, is viewed as another internal figure though his close association with the president could limit his appeal.
Candidates must formally declare their intention to stand for the FIFA presidency by November 18, 2026, ahead of the vote at the 77th Congress in Morocco. Infantino first took office promising to work tirelessly to bring football back to FIFA and FIFA back to football. The Brazilian Joao Havelange remains the last person to unseat an incumbent president when he defeated Sir Stanley Rous in 1974. Multiple outlets including CNN and The Hill reported that the scrapped investment plan had also drawn condemnation from UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham and football supporters concerned about the sport’s direction.
