UEFA football leaders meet to shape strategy to oust FIFA’s Infantino | Football
European Football Leaders Convene to Formulate Strategy Against FIFA President Infantino
Published on October 7, 2026
European football leaders convened on Wednesday as they seek to establish a strategy and identify a candidate to challenge Gianni Infantino’s presidency at FIFA. The gathering is part of UEFA’s ongoing efforts to reclaim control over global football governance.
UEFA has called upon its 55 member federations for a summit set to take place on Thursday in Berlin, coinciding with intensified discussions regarding Infantino’s controversial leadership. The urgency to intervene follows Infantino’s divisive proposal for private investment in the World Cup, which was abandoned shortly after its July announcement. UEFA has expressed longstanding concerns regarding Infantino’s increasingly unilateral decisions as president.
In addition to immediate strategic discussions, UEFA is formulating a criminal complaint in Switzerland against Infantino, alleging financial mismanagement related to the World Cup sell-off deal. UEFA has also requested U.S. courts to authorize the discovery of evidence pertinent to this case.
“Somewhere along the way, things went too far with FIFA, and we’re looking to put things back where they belong,” UEFA General Secretary Theodore Theodoridis remarked last month.
Europe’s 55 federations represent over a quarter of FIFA’s 211 member organizations eligible to vote in the presidential election scheduled for March 18 in Rabat, Morocco. Preliminary research by The Associated Press indicates that Infantino currently has approximately 90 pledged votes, despite the lack of an announced challenger.
However, UEFA’s member federations are not unified in their opposition. Infantino maintains support from countries such as Azerbaijan and Latvia. On Wednesday, he engaged with football and government officials in Prague.
Before the November 18 deadline to register candidates, UEFA and its global allies must agree on at least one contender to oppose Infantino. Recently, UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin and his fellow FIFA vice presidents from Asia and North America criticized Infantino for what they termed deception and breach of trust over the World Cup plan.
Despite these criticisms, Ceferin has consistently distanced himself from speculation regarding a presidential run. While Ceferin noted the presence of “many, many” potential candidates at UEFA meetings in Greece last month, he has dismissed any intention to seek the presidency himself.
CONCACAF President Victor Montagliani is anticipated to concentrate on his own re-election campaign in February, while Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa of Bahrain, a past opponent of Infantino, has not indicated intentions to run either.
Speculation has also surrounded Nasser Al-Khelaifi, president of Paris Saint-Germain and a close ally of Ceferin; however, Al-Khelaifi ruled himself out last week during a meeting with the influential European Football Clubs group.
The upcoming UEFA summit in Berlin will address proposals aimed at fostering transparency within FIFA and identifying a presidential candidate willing to commit to reform. The meeting will bring together top executives from UEFA’s member federations to discuss policy, strategy, and international competition dynamics.
