FIFA President Gianni Infantino refused to address speculation about his leadership future upon arriving at the Under-20 Women’s World Cup in Poland, where hosts faced Argentina on the opening day of the tournament on Saturday.
The 56-year-old was seen conversing with Polish Football Association president Cezary Kulesza in the stands, but when asked about his plans to run for a fourth term next year or whether he considered resigning, he declined to answer. Speaking to Sky News outside Arena Katowice, Infantino said there would be “a right place and a right time” to discuss the matter, adding that today was simply about enjoying football.
Infantino has faced intensifying pressure since his controversial plan to sell commercial rights to FIFA’s World Cup through a $20 billion subsidiary collapsed in July. The proposal, first revealed by The Times, would have given private investors led by a New York fund founded by Joshua Kushner a 20 percent stake in the enterprise. The deal was designed to offer $20 million to each of FIFA’s 211 member federations, with a mid-September deadline for acceptance.
After facing opposition from numerous FIFA member nations and some of his own officials, Infantino abandoned the proposal within four days. UEFA had the backing of the Asian Football Confederation and CONCACAF, and senior FIFA officials also voiced criticism of both the plan and its architect.
European nations, which account for a quarter of the 24-team tournament field, had threatened a boycott but ultimately backed down last week after receiving assurances from FIFA that the plan would not be revived. Despite this reprieve, legal proceedings stemming from the original attempt are ongoing, and Europe continues to play a leading role in efforts to remove Infantino ahead of next year’s election.
On Thursday, FIFA filed a court document accusing UEFA of conducting a “smear campaign against FIFA and its leadership” as the European football body sought discovery of evidence related to the FIFA Forward Enterprise plan.
Infantino had largely stayed out of the public eye in recent weeks following the collapse of his World Cup sale scheme.
Wait, he wanted to sell World Cup rights for twenty billion dollars? That seems incredibly reckless for the sport’s governing body.
Deflecting questions isn’t a leadership strategy. The $20 billion deal collapse shows poor judgment and a lack of transparency.