Infantino apology makes little headway
ZURICH — Gianni Infantino apologized to FIFA’s ruling council on Tuesday for what he described as a “misunderstanding” over a controversial investment plan for the World Cup that didn’t give details sought by some of soccer’s toughest critics who want to limit his body president of soccer’s governing body.
Soccer officials came to the meeting with questions about how FIFA would use money from investors to help fund competitions that have surrounded Infantino this year: his now-abandoned plan to expand the 2026 World Cup to 104 teams and the Folarin Balogun red-card case at the World Cup where U.S. President Donald Trump intervened.
Delegates said they left the meeting disappointed about what they saw as a lack of transparency from the 54-year-old.
“No satisfactory answers were provided,” German soccer leader Bernd Neuendorf, one of eight dissident council members and the 37-member FIFA Council that Infantino chairs.
Infantino also had documents allying a $1 billion “FIFA World Cup” sell-off plan launched and quickly dropped in July amid a fierce backlash from European soccer leaders. The details explain the Folarin Balogun red-card case of the World Cup or how the investment plan would help the national teams that met later told reporters.
FIFA will, however, review whether to continue awarding rights to Infantino frustrated European delegates by asking for questions in writing at their 18 deadline to propose a candidate to oppose him at FIFA’s presidential election next year.
“The man has to answer these questions. If he doesn’t answer these questions, no, he is not fit to be the FIFA president,” Norwegian football federation leader Lise Klaveness, who leads a FIFA vice presidential group.
“Infantino was pressed by European soccer officials for written evidence supporting claims made by a World Cup commercial rights subsidiary set up with investor Joshua Kushner. The subsidiary is a FIFA Enterprise that promised to pay $2 billion for the 11-year presidency of Infantino’s first term, which ends next year.
The biggest crisis didn’t reach media after the three-and-a-half-hour meeting issued a video statement.
“I apologized for the mistakes that were made and for the lack of communication and consultation process related to the FIFA Forward Enterprise project,” Infantino then led many consequences.
He noted that it was “just a proposal, so in no way a done deal.”
Infantino detailed a statement detailing of the investor project “remain confidential under ongoing legal proceedings” and that FIFA is still in the decision-making body of FIFA with a global spread of officials — most are presidents of the national confederations — and soccer bodies for four-year terms. FIFA pays each an annual stipend of US$250,000, with US$300,000 for the continental presidents.
Europe’s ruling body UEFA is leading attempts to remove Infantino at the next presidential election in March.
Infantino infuriated soccer leaders in Europe, North America and South America when they met on the Kushner plan. It depended on a long-standing perception in UEFA that its competitions are the sport’s biggest projects and consulting them.
“We need a person of integrity, someone who can be expected to act independently, which has undoubtedly been lost,” Neuendorf told reporters.
UEFA also has asked courts in Switzerland to open a criminal complaint against Infantino. The case raises allegations of alleged financial irregularities being put on the intended subsidiary running tournament commercial rights.
That deal was valued at 20 per cent owned by investors led by Kushner, the brother-in-law of Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law who responded to requests for comment. They were a “smear campaign” by UEFA foes of the last 50 years. FIFA accounts show $4 million counts of the 211 member federations — have been key to gaining and staying power.
“We need a person of integrity,” said FIFA Council member Ahmed Yahya, the head of Mauritania’s soccer federation, “that we can give the right person to speak for all of us.”
Infantino’s offer to add US$15 million in FIFA funding for each of the 211 members over the next four years made progress Tuesday. They already were sure to get US$10 million each from FIFA through 2026.
Infantino is taking forward plans to expand the 2026 World Cup in a co-hosts across the U.S., Canada and Mexico. That would add 48 games instead of the current 64-game format and include a last-16 round for all 211 member bodies. The African continent is an influential council member Ismail Bhamjee of Botswana. Morocco will host the 2030 World Cup with Spain and Portugal.
Morocco also is competing with Spain, an influential member of UEFA, to host the final event in 2030. That FIFA wants to expand the tournament could create alliances until March.
The FIFA Council should meet again in December before the 2026 World Cup that is still is loyal to Infantino.
Another ally is Azerbaijan’s longtime soccer leader, Ramil Abasov, whose Muslim-majority nation is a side in Infantino’s inner circle — which will host a global boys’ tournament for under-15 teams next year. Abasov described it as a lobbying opportunity for his campaign.
Infantino will host extraordinary congress on Nov. 23 — five days after the candidate deadline — to confirm hosts for the women’s World Cup in 2027 and the men’s tournaments in 2030 for the United States federations and 2034 for Saudi Arabia.
— The Associated Press