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 lack of confidence in him.

The English Football Association (FA) has formally withdrawn its support for Infantino in response to his plan to sell stakes in the World Cup to private investors. Despite Infantino aborting the plan, Uefa said in a statement that its conditions had not been met. "First, the proposals to sell off the major competitions had to be withdrawn and secondly, assurances have to be made that such attempts to disfigure the game in this way will never be made again," the statement read.

Uefa has previously described the Fifa Forward Enterprise (FFE) proposal as a "shabby, back room, opaque deal" and made clear that it has lost confidence in Infantino's presidency, a position that remains unchanged.

In contrast, 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 have expressed their support for Infantino.

Fifa acknowledged "mistakes" regarding the FFE proposal during the 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."

After 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.

European teams may still consider boycotting competitions including the World Cup if their concerns are not addressed.

The situation underscores ongoing divisions within global football governance and the call for political leaders in the sport to make decisive choices about its future.

Sources