FIFA President Infantino Faces Resignation After Collapse

FIFA President Gianni Infantino is confronting a severe leadership crisis and mounting calls for his resignation after the collapse of a controversial plan to privatize the organization's commercial assets, prompting key national associations to withdraw support for his reelection. The Football Association of Wales became the first to publicly revoke its backing on August 3, 2026, with the English Football Association also set to formally withdraw its endorsement.

The immediate pressure stems from the now-abandoned proposal to create FIFA Forward Enterprise, a new subsidiary that would have managed commercial rights for major tournaments, including the World Cup, and sold a minority stake to private investors. Reports indicated the plan involved a roughly $4 billion investment from private equity firm Thrive Capital, led by Joshua Kushner. The proposal, which many top FIFA officials and national federations said they first learned of through media reports, sparked immediate and unified condemnation from continental governing bodies.

UEFA, the Asian Football Confederation, and CONCACAF all opposed the plan, with UEFA's 55 member associations voting to boycott FIFA competitions...