European football governing body Uefa has stated that Fifa's backing of its president Gianni Infantino at a meeting on Wednesday, August 5th, 2026, "changes nothing" regarding its stance on Infantino's 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 the Fifa president by sending a formal letter. Uefa emphasized that its conditions had not been met despite the plan being abandoned.

"First, the proposals to sell off the major competitions had to be withdrawn and secondly," Uefa said, "assurances have to be made that such attempts to disfigure the game in this way will never be made again."

Uefa has openly expressed a loss of confidence in Infantino, describing the Fifa Forward Enterprise (FFE) proposal as a "shabby, back room, unclear deal." The European body made it clear in a statement on Saturday, August 7th, 2026, that this position remains unchanged.

In contrast, other football confederations including Conmebol (South America), the Confederation of African Football (Caf), and the football associations of World Cup co-hosts Mexico and runners-up Argentina have expressed support for Infantino.

Fifa acknowledged "mistakes" regarding the FFE during the Wednesday meeting, stating it was "not the intention" for the Fifa Council and member associations to "feel excluded from the process and that the process 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.

Concacaf, overseeing football in North and Central America and the Caribbean, issued a public statement after the proposal was aborted but did not declare a loss of confidence in Infantino as Uefa did.

The ongoing disagreement raises the possibility of European teams boycotting competitions including the World Cup if their conditions and concerns are not addressed.

"The time has now come for football's political leaders to ask themselves the right questions and make the right decisions," Uefa stated.

Sources