Distrust in Gianni Infantino continues to grow a month before the deadline for FIFA presidency candidacies. His attempt to privatize part of the commercial rights of the World Cups for 3.8 billion euros, his relations with US President Donald Trump, and other opaque economic maneuvers were thrown in his face during the tense meeting of over three and a half hours that the 37 members of the FIFA Council held yesterday in Zurich, only serving to once again highlight the huge gap that has opened between Infantino and powerful confederations such as UEFA, which is urgently seeking candidates to challenge him in the elections on March 18, with Arsčne Wenger as the desired candidate.
Despite the Italian-Swiss seeing it possible to renew his mandate until 2031, suspicions remain. Infantino did not provide any explanation for the scandals that have surrounded him since last June. When leaders like the president of the English Federation, Debbie Hewitt, or the president of the German Federation, Bernd Neuendorf, spoke up demanding evidence of the secret privatization project, there was no response or access to the documentation. Sources close to the FIFA Council meeting claim that he simply apologized "with some regret" for the rift caused by that privatization project, devised with the investment fund led by Joshua Kushner, brother of Trump's son-in-law.
He justified that it is definitively set aside and must remain secret "due to the ongoing judicial proceedings in the United States." "We had a discussion about the FIFA Forward Enterprise project, where everyone had the opportunity to ask questions and express their opinions," said Infantino.
These are the proceedings initiated by UEFA in August, demanding that the courts in two American states gather and protect relevant information about the failed project with the intention of using these documents to corner the president in Swiss courts for "criminal management". If Ceferin's organization already accused FIFA of opacity and lack of cooperation, after yesterday's meeting, it does so with more arguments.
"One of the disappointing things is that we did not get answers to any of the questions we had specifically requested, such as providing us with the documents of the FFE project. I asked why not, and we were asked to submit those questions in writing. He has to answer those questions, and if he does not do so now, he is not fit to be FIFA president," explained the English president. "We need an honest person to restore the organization's reputation, which has undoubtedly been lost," said German Neuendorf.
There was no further clarification regarding the suspicions revealed by The Times and Le Monde about a 1.5 million payment that the president received in 2025 from the company created for the organization of the 2026 World Cup, FWC2026 US. Inc., which was not added to his official public salary of five million euros. As he did in Qatar in 2022, Infantino moved to Miami in the year before the World Cup, even buying a home. Nor was there further clarification on the rental of offices for FIFA in the Trump Tower in New York. It is a 450-square-meter "suite" whose lease was signed between the company governed by Eric Trump, one of the president's sons, and FIFA America's Incorporation. It was signed in May 2025, for seven years, by four members of the FIFA Council, in addition to the Secretary General, Mattias Grafstrom. The organization defends that headquarters as necessary for the World Cup and even the Women's Club World Cup to be held in 2028.
There were two more issues on the table, both regarding Infantino's relationship with Trump. The first was the case of the red card given to American Folarin Balogun, which was revoked after a conversation between the US president and the FIFA president, a scandal that was left unexplained then and now. The other was the Peace Award, invented a year ago and awarded to Trump. The corresponding committees will present their assessment of both issues in December. In the case of the award, it is likely to be discontinued.
Distribution of 6.35 billion dollars
With no explanations from Infantino, the race for the FIFA presidency has begun. The current president, who has been in office for ten years, is trying to win supporters by distributing millions to the 211 national federations. Due to the extraordinary success of the 2026 World Cup, he will distribute 6.35 billion dollars in the period 2027-2030, "more than double the initially contemplated amount." This means that each federation will receive 25 million. "Since I became president, we have gone from one million to 25 million," he said.
This measure may attract votes, but UEFA leads the opposition, seeking candidates to challenge Infantino. One of the strong names is Arsčne Wenger, FIFA's Director of Global Development. The Frenchman could generate consensus. Another name echoing in the corridors is that of women's football mogul, Michele Kang.