Shafaq News

UEFA, the Asian Football Confederation, and CONCACAF are weighing whether to pursue an unprecedented no-confidence vote against FIFA President Gianni Infantino amid a widening governance dispute, senior figures familiar with the talks told Reuters on Thursday.

The discussions follow the collapse of Infantino's proposal to sell private investors a minority stake in a new FIFA commercial entity controlling World Cup commercial rights. The three confederations opposed the plan over transparency, consultation and governance concerns.

In FIFA's 122-year history, its Congress has never held a formal no-confidence vote against a sitting president. The confederations have not publicly confirmed that such a vote will be pursued.

Under FIFA statutes, the Council must convene an Extraordinary Congress if at least 43 of its 211 member associations submit a written request specifying the agenda. The statutes contain no specific no-confidence mechanism, though FIFA's general rules provide for decisions by a simple majority of valid votes unless otherwise specified.

Pressure on Infantino increased after the departure of Chief Operating Officer Kevin Lamour, who had criticized the investment proposal. FIFA gave no reason for his exit, while Vice-President Sandor Csanyi described it as a dismissal and withdrew his support for the president.

Infantino intends to seek re-election in March 2027 and retains significant backing, including from the Confederation of African Football and several Arab associations. No challenger has publicly entered the race ahead of the November 18 nomination deadline.

European Football Clubs, representing more than 800 teams, has also warned that members could refuse to participate in future men's and women's Club World Cups unless FIFA addresses governance concerns.