European football governing body Uefa has stated that Fifa's backing of its president, Gianni Infantino, following a contentious meeting on Wednesday, August 5th, 2026, "changes nothing" regarding its position on his leadership.

The controversy centers on Infantino's aborted plan to sell stakes in the World Cup to private investors, a move that prompted the English FA to withdraw its support for him via a formal letter. Uefa emphasized that its conditions for reconciliation had not been met, stating, "First, the proposals to sell off the major competitions had to be withdrawn and secondly, assurances have to be made that such attempts to disfigure the game in this way will never be made again."

Uefa has openly expressed its loss of confidence in Infantino, describing the Fifa Forward Enterprise (FFE) proposal as a "shabby, back room, opaque deal." Despite the aborted plan, Uefa's position remains firm.

In contrast, other football bodies have shown support for Infantino. On Thursday, the South American confederation Conmebol, the Confederation of African Football (Caf), and the football associations of World Cup co-hosts Mexico and runners-up Argentina publicly backed him. Concacaf, overseeing North and Central America and the Caribbean, also issued a statement after the proposal was aborted but stopped short of declaring lost confidence.

Fifa acknowledged "mistakes" regarding the FFE during the Wednesday meeting, expressing regret that the Fifa Council and member associations felt excluded from the process and that it should have been handled differently.

Following the meeting, Infantino and his deputy Grafstrom were seen together, smiling at a Women's Africa Cup of Nations match between Malawi and Zambia, suggesting a temporary easing of tensions.

The situation leaves open the possibility of European teams boycotting major competitions, including the World Cup, as Uefa's stance remains unchanged.

Sources