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Gianni Infantino's alleged outreach to members of U.S. President Trump's administration has sparked speculation about a transcontinental coalition of soccer federations forming to oppose the controversial FIFA president.
Infantino appears to be increasingly cornered. The Swiss official has been on the defensive since unveiling his plan to establish a subsidiary company to manage the commercial rights of all FIFA competitions, particularly the men's and women's World Cup, with a proposed 20% stake to be sold to private investors.
Faced with mounting opposition, including threats from European nations to boycott future World Cups, Infantino retracted his proposal. Unsatisfied with that retreat, his critics are now rallying to demand his resignation as FIFA president.
Infantino was reportedly planning to speak with Trump cabinet members on Monday following a legal threat from UEFA, European soccer's governing body, as reported by BBC Sport's Simon Stone. Separate claims that U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio would also be approached were denied by Dylan Johnson, the Assistant Secretary of State for Global Public Affairs. Whether any conversations between Infantino and Trump have taken place remains unclear.
Josh Kushner, the brother of President Trump's son-in-law, is the founder of Thrive Eternal, the fund identified by FIFA as the primary investor in the proposed venture aimed at raising $4.2 billion. Kushner is also said to have received the formal legal warning issued by UEFA.
Yet, the threat does not stop at the courts.
The 'Governance Boycott' Plan to Cripple Infantino, FIFA
UEFA has been joined by the heads of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and Concacaf, the governing body for North, Central America and Caribbean soccer, in a scheme to "paralyze" FIFA through a coordinated "governance boycott," according to The Times.
Should Infantino refuse to resign or continue pursuing a fourth term ahead of March 2027, the three confederations are reportedly prepared to withdraw from all FIFA governmental activities, including council meetings, votes, and committee sessions. Together, the AFC, Concacaf and UEFA represent 136 of FIFA's 211 member associations, meaning a unified boycott from all three would prevent any majority from being achieved by the remaining associations still backing Infantino.
There are even bold suggestions that these dissenting bodies would be willing to establish rival tournaments. UEFA is believed to have drafted plans for a global Nations League—a series of matches between national teams split into divisions and played in a round-robin format, similar to a Premier League season rather than a knockout-style competition like the World Cup.
"Everyone is very determined he needs to go, and if not we will take all the necessary steps [to remove him from power]," The Times quotes an anonymous source as saying. "That includes future international competitions—would the big South American countries prefer to play France or Spain, or Lebanon or Djibouti?"