Gianni Infantino is facing a rebellion from Fifa Council members attempting to force an extraordinary general meeting that could develop into a leadership challenge, according to the Guardian.
Key facts
- Fifa Council members are attempting to force an extraordinary general meeting (EGM).
- The move could develop into a full-blown leadership challenge to Gianni Infantino.
- Members are demanding an independent review into the decision to lift Folarin Balogun's suspension during the World Cup.
- That decision involved multiple phone calls from Donald Trump, according to the Guardian.
- Moves to call an EGM were reportedly under way before Infantino's abortive plan to sell off stakes in the World Cup.
Gianni Infantino, the president of world football’s governing body Fifa, is facing a rebellion from members of the Fifa Council who are attempting to force an extraordinary general meeting, according to the Guardian. The newspaper reports that the effort could develop into a full-blown leadership challenge.
The Guardian says it has learned that moves to call an extraordinary general meeting, or EGM, were already under way before the emergence of Infantino’s abortive plan to sell off stakes in the World Cup.
Central to the council members’ grievances is a demand for an independent review into what the Guardian describes as the unprecedented decision to lift Folarin Balogun’s suspension during the World Cup.
According to the Guardian, that decision involved multiple phone calls from Donald Trump. The report ties the review demand directly to the process by which Balogun’s suspension was lifted.
The combination of the disputed Balogun ruling and the reported plan to sell stakes in the World Cup appears to have intensified discontent among council members, who are now seeking a formal meeting to air their concerns.
The Guardian frames the EGM effort as a potential precursor to a wider challenge to Infantino’s leadership, though the full details of the members’ intentions were not disclosed in the reporting available.
Why it matters
Fifa oversees global football and the World Cup, so internal disputes over its president's decisions can affect how the sport is governed worldwide. A rebellion within the Fifa Council raises questions about accountability at the top of the game and could reshape its leadership.
Frequently asked questions
What are Fifa Council members trying to do?
According to the Guardian, they are attempting to force an extraordinary general meeting (EGM), which could develop into a full-blown leadership challenge to Gianni Infantino.
Why are members demanding a review of the Balogun decision?
The Guardian reports members want an independent review into the unprecedented decision to lift Folarin Balogun's suspension during the World Cup, a decision that involved multiple phone calls from Donald Trump.
Was this rebellion only triggered by Infantino's World Cup stake plan?
No. The Guardian says moves to call an EGM were already under way before the emergence of Infantino's abortive plan to sell off stakes in the World Cup.