Gianni infantino faces FIFA leadership challenge as council members rebel

FIFA boss Gianni Infantino is facing the most serious challenge to his leadership yet, as a group of FIFA Council members seeks to convene an Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM).

The mounting crisis follows a series of governance disputes and the collapse of a controversial commercial proposal.

As reported by The Guardian, the push for an EGM comes after Infantino abandoned a proposal to spin off FIFA's commercial operations into a $20 billion enterprise by selling a 20% stake to private equity firm Thrive Capital.

The plan sparked fierce backlash, and and internal accusations that the project was pushed through unilaterally.

The proposal reportedly triggered strong opposition, including a threatened boycott by UEFA and criticism from within FIFA over claims that the plan had been advanced without sufficient consultation.

Following the reversal, UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin said UEFA had lost confidence in Infantino's leadership and called for greater accountability. CONCACAF has also urged a comprehensive review of FIFA's governance.

Discontent among council members was already brewing prior to the commercial debacle, driven by anger over the handling of Folarin Balogun’s controversial suspension lifting during the World Cup—a move allegedly influenced by political pressure. 

Rebels are demanding an independent external review into the matter.

FIFA Council is the world governing body’s main decision-making forum composed of 28 representatives of the six confederations, eight vice presidents and Infantino and under FIFA rules a motion from 50% or 19 of the 37 council members can trigger an EGM.

Although the initiative is being led by representatives from Europe and North America, any attempt to remove Infantino or pass a vote of no confidence would likely depend on securing broader backing from other confederations, particularly Asia and Africa, where he continues to enjoy significant support.

According to the report, dissatisfied Council members had been considering calling for Infantino's resignation if he refused to authorize an independent review of the Balogun case. 

The dispute prompted the Norwegian Football Federation to file a complaint with the International Olympic Committee, alleging that FIFA breached principles of political neutrality by yielding to pressure from U.S. President Donald Trump.

FIFA has maintained that the suspension decision followed due process and was made independently by its Ethics Committee.

However, the governing body has yet to publish a written report detailing the committee's findings.