FIFA president Gianni Infantino faces scrutiny from council members in Zurich over a secret World Cup sell-off plan and governance issues, while European football leaders weigh whether former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger could mount a surprise challenge in the upcoming presidential election.
Gianni Infantino faces some of his fiercest critics as the FIFA Council gathers in Zurich for a crucial meeting. The 10 a.m. session marks the first opportunity for 36 council members to directly question the FIFA president about the aborted FIFA Forward Enterprise scheme, an initiative to sell a 20 percent stake in all future FIFA tournaments to private bankers with ties to US President Donald Trump.
The scandal has plunged football administration into civil war, triggering sharp opposition from continental leaders.
Scrutiny Over Financial Reserves and the Folarin Balogun Case
Infantino faces a barrage of pointed questions regarding FIFA’s financial management and governance. Critics are demanding explanations for why the proposed spin-off company was valued at only $20bn when this summer’s World Cup alone generated $15bn in revenue. Members are also questioning why FIFA promised its 211 member associations a potential $40m each from 2027 to 2030 if they approved the plan, despite the organization already holding cash reserves of up to $6bn.
The agenda for the Zurich meeting also addresses the controversial awarding of the inaugural FIFA Peace Prize to Donald Trump in Washington last December. Furthermore, Infantino must answer questions about the Folarin Balogun affair, which saw FIFA’s disciplinary committee overturn the US striker’s suspension during the World Cup. To preempt criticism over that intervention, Infantino has proposed an amendment that would strip the disciplinary committee of its power to revoke one-match bans given for straight red cards.
Adding to the financial questions, US Internal Revenue Service records show Infantino was paid $1.7m in 2024, a figure omitted from FIFA’s annual report.
The Search for a Presidential Challenger
Despite the turmoil and the loss of support from the heads of UEFA, CONCACAF, and the Asian Football Confederation, Infantino remains strongly positioned to secure a fourth and final term. Elections are set for March, and candidates face a November 18 deadline for nominations. While Aleksander Ceferin, Victor Montagliani, and Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim al-Khalifa have ruled themselves out, European football leaders express growing confidence that an opponent will emerge.
The anti-Infantino lobby plans to delay announcing its candidate until close to the deadline to prevent FIFA from actively obstructing the nomination. Former Portugal international Luis Figo has been mentioned as a possibility, though he is also viewed as a potential future UEFA president when Ceferin’s term ends in 2031.
Arsene Wenger Emerges in Discussions
Senior figures within European football have urged former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger to run as a surprise candidate against Infantino. Wenger currently serves as FIFA’s chief of global football development, a role he has held since 2019, and acts as a technical adviser to the International Football Association Board.
Wenger publicly distanced himself from the aborted FFE scheme.
The decision to withdraw the project was absolutely necessary and beyond question, because I firmly believe in an independent Fifa that serves our game with commitment, transparency and integrity.
Arsene Wenger, via BBC Sport
Supporters argue that Wenger commands deep respect outside Europe, particularly in Asia from his time working in Japan, and across Africa where his advocacy for an expanded 48-team World Cup has found a receptive audience.
He is a brilliant football man who really understands the development of football because he ran it himself.
Anonymous senior official at a European national association, via BBC Sport
Other insiders express skepticism about whether Wenger would challenge the man who appointed him, noting that political administration presents a different set of challenges from managing a club. Wenger has not declared any intention to run, and those close to the 76-year-old have declined to comment on his interest.