FIFA warn media, member associations against plot to malign Infantino

FIFA has warned media organisations and its member associations against what it described as a “concerted and ongoing effort” to undermine president Gianni Infantino, insisting that any challenge to his leadership must be pursued through the governing body's established democratic procedures.

The warning comes amid an increasingly bitter dispute over Infantino's presidency following the collapse of a controversial proposal to raise around $4.2 billion by selling a stake in the commercial rights to the World Cup and other FIFA competitions.

The proposal triggered significant opposition from UEFA, national football associations and senior FIFA officials, eventually leading to calls for Infantino to resign.

A crisis meeting in Morocco this week sought to ease the tensions, with FIFA's leadership reaffirming its support for the president while apologising to its 211 member associations over mistakes in the handling of the commercial proposal.

FIFA did not identify the individuals or organisations it believes are attempting to undermine Infantino, nor did it specify every report or allegation it was responding to.

However, the statement followed reports by The Daily Telegraph concerning payments made by UEFA to a former employee during Infantino's time as the European governing body's general secretary. Infantino has denied the allegations, while FIFA dismissed them as unfounded.

FIFA accused some recent reporting of containing “unsubstantiated assertions and demonstrably false claims” and vowed to challenge inaccurate or misleading reports “directly and vigorously”.

FIFA also issued a clear warning regarding the upcoming presidential election, saying it would not support or facilitate any process that violates its statutes, democratic procedures or governance framework.

The governing body stressed that Infantino was democratically elected by its member associations and continues to serve with their mandate. However, his support is increasingly divided across the football world.

UEFA has declared that it no longer has confidence in Infantino, while Norwegian Football Federation president Lise Klaveness has called for his resignation, arguing that he no longer possesses the institutional trust required to lead FIFA.

Infantino, however, continues to enjoy considerable backing elsewhere. The Confederation of African Football unanimously supported his leadership, while CONMEBOL rejected any attempt to remove him without a vote involving all FIFA members.

With the FIFA Congress in Morocco scheduled for March, the growing political divide has cast fresh uncertainty over Infantino's bid for a fourth term.

For now, however, FIFA's leadership insists that any attempt to challenge the president must take place through the organisation's formal democratic mechanisms rather than through allegations, insinuations or misinformation.