FIFA President Gianni Infantino faces the prospect of an unprecedented no-confidence vote before the next congress in March 2027, as regional bodies in Europe, Asia and North America explore the option, according to multiple sources familiar with the deliberations.
The European (UEFA), Asian (AFC) and North American (Concacaf) confederations are considering initiating a ballot among FIFA’s 211 member associations, the sources said. Such a vote would mark the first time in the 122-year history of FIFA that an incumbent president has faced a formal challenge. While the confederations collectively represent a majority of FIFA members, individual national federations are not bound by their stance.
The move follows widespread discontent over Infantino’s unilateral attempt to sell minority stakes in rights to World Cups and other major tournaments to investors. FIFA abandoned the plan and issued an apology after pushback, but the gesture failed to mollify critics. “There is no way out,” one source said. “Either he steps down peacefully and decides not to run again in March, or he faces the hard route.”
A special members’ congress can be called with support from one-fifth of national associations, and must be convened within three months of the request. FIFA has no formal regulations governing a no-confidence vote against its president, and declined to comment on the report. UEFA reiterated a prior call for a “thorough and fundamental review” of FIFA’s leadership, stating that all options remained on the table.
Infantino has indicated plans to seek re-election in 2027 and retains backing from representatives in Africa and South America. Six Arab countries, including 2022 World Cup host Qatar and Morocco, have publicly endorsed him in recent weeks. However, the three confederations considering the vote also fear that a failed challenge could strengthen Infantino’s position, particularly in the absence of a declared challenger.
The growing dissent was underscored this week by the departure of FIFA operations director Kevin Lamour, who criticized Infantino’s initiative as deceptive to staff. FIFA vice-president Sándor Csányi withdrew his support for Infantino, citing Lamour’s exit as the final straw.
Former IOC marketing chief Michael Payne questioned whether Infantino’s re-election could resolve FIFA’s divisions. “You might scrape through with a 51% majority of smaller nations,” Payne said, “but how do you lead an organization when all the football superpowers are against you? Sponsors are raising eyebrows over how a successful World Cup can be followed by such self-inflicted damage.”
