European football governing body Uefa has stated that Fifa's backing of its president, Gianni Infantino, during 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 remain unmet despite the plan's cancellation, stating, "First, the proposals to sell off the major competitions had to be withdrawn and secondly, assurances have to be made that such attempts to disfigure the game in this way will never be made again."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 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 its position remains firm.

In contrast, other football organizations have shown support for Infantino. On Thursday, August 6th, 2026, Conmebol (the South American confederation), the Confederation of African Football (Caf), and the football associations of World Cup co-hosts Mexico and runners-up Argentina publicly backed Infantino. Concacaf, overseeing North and Central America and the Caribbean, issued a statement after the proposal was aborted but stopped short of expressing 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 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, signaling a moment of reconciliation.

The ongoing dispute raises the possibility of European teams boycotting competitions, including the World Cup, as Uefa continues to demand assurances against future attempts to alter the structure of major football competitions.

Sources