Game over for Gianni Infantino? UEFA 'accelerate' plans to topple FIFA president after World Cup sell-off plan U-turn

The FIFA president has been left in a vulnerable position after his proposal to create a $20 billion commercial subsidiary, known as FIFA Forward Enterprise, spectacularly collapsed. The project was intended to sell off a 20 percent stake in the federation's most lucrative assets to private investors, with an ESPN report identified a New York investment firm founded by Joshua Kushner as the potential anchor investor. However, the plan triggered an immediate and fierce rebellion from the sport's biggest power brokers, leaving Infantino with no choice but to retreat.

In a statement confirming the abandonment of the project, Infantino admitted the scheme had become too toxic to continue. "Having listened carefully to all the views, it has become clear that the project has created divisions of a nature that, regardless of the level of support, are no longer in the interest of the objective set out in the first place. Our purpose has always been – and will always be - to unite and improve. As a result, this proposal will not proceed," Infantino stated.

UEFA has been the loudest critic of the commercial sell-off proposal, previously threatening a total boycott of FIFA competitions if the plan remained active. Now, the European governing body is 'accelerating' its efforts to ensure Infantino does not serve another term, according to Sky News. The report suggests that it is no longer a matter of if Infantino will be challenged, but when. UEFA Vice President Laura McAllister confirmed the shift in mood, stating that "trust in the president of FIFA has been badly shaken." Furthermore, UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin has asked national federations to revoke their previous letters of support for Infantino’s re-election, as per talkSPORT.

The European body released a scathing official statement on Saturday after the plan collapsed, making it clear they have lost all confidence in the current leadership. The statement read: "We cannot keep going on like this with secret schemes on fast track timescales, cooked up by faceless individuals and of dubious benefit to the game. We must identify those responsible and hold them to account.

"It is right that, in the coming days and weeks, UEFA will work with its associations and in close cooperation with other confederations to reflect on how this happened and devise a plan to make sure that it cannot occur again.

"That review should be thorough and fundamental. No option should be off the table. The current FIFA leadership has not only lost UEFA’s confidence but also that of many other members of the football family."

As the search for a successor begins, several high-profile names have been linked with a run for the presidency. While CONCACAF leader Victor Montagliani is considered a potential candidate, PSG chief and European Football Clubs chairman Nasser Al-Khelaifi has reportedly rejected calls from UEFA to launch a bid, despite his firm opposition to Infantino's recent financial maneuvers. Al-Khelaifi’s camp insisted he has no ambition for the role and intends to continue supporting institutions from his current positions.

The pressure is also mounting from within FIFA’s own headquarters. The controversial proposal led to the high-level resignations of senior adviser Carlos Cordeiro and Chief Operating Officer Kevin Lamour. In a stinging rebuke of the president's management style, Lamour described the venture as "a project of one person."

UEFA is now exploring multiple avenues to force Infantino out before the next scheduled election in 2027. While a voluntary resignation would be the simplest outcome, the governing body is looking into the possibility of calling an emergency FIFA Congress. This would require the backing of 43 of the 211 member associations to trigger a formal vote of no confidence.

The battle for control of the global game is entering its most intense phase. UEFA’s statement concluded with a definitive warning that this victory over the investment plan was just the beginning. "This is a victory for the whole game. But it must not be the end of the story. The proposal has gone. The task of rebuilding trust in FIFA has only just begun." With relations between Zurich and Nyon at an all-time low, the coming months will determine whether Infantino can survive the most significant challenge to his decade-long reign.