FIFA alleges 'concerted effort' to undermine Infantino amid reelection year pressure

FIFA released a statement Saturday asserting it is "increasingly evident that there is a concerted and ongoing effort by some to undermine FIFA and its President," per Front Office Sports. The organization did not identify which entities or individuals it believes are behind the alleged coordinated campaign.

FIFA stated that "recent reporting has included unsubstantiated assertions and demonstrably false claims concerning FIFA and its President. Speculation and insinuation should not be presented as fact, and repetition does not make an allegation true," according to Front Office Sports. The statement added: "Those who do not have the support of FIFA's Member Associations should not seek to achieve through allegation, insinuation or misinformation what they cannot achieve through FIFA's established democratic processes."

The statement comes days after The Telegraph published a Friday report alleging that UEFA paid off an alleged lover of Infantino's when he was the organization's general secretary. FIFA confirmed to The Telegraph that a severance payment to the individual had been made while noting it has since "tightened" its regulations. FIFA denied claims that Infantino had an affair with a junior employee, calling such allegations "categorically untrue" and "defamatory," per Front Office Sports.

The dispute escalated in the spring when Infantino attempted to implement the FIFA Forward Enterprise plan, which would have made stakes in FIFA's commercial and event operations, including the World Cups and Club World Cups, available for private investment. Infantino abandoned the plan following backlash from UEFA and Concacaf, per Front Office Sports.

UEFA's 55 federations subsequently voted unanimously to suspend participation in FIFA tournaments, including World Cups. In a statement carried by Front Office Sports, UEFA said: "UEFA's associations were very clear about the conditions attached to the non-participation in FIFA competitions. First, the proposals to sell off the major competitions had to be withdrawn, and secondly, assurances have to be made that such attempts to disfigure the game in this way will never be made again. These conditions have not been met."

Concacaf has called for a "comprehensive reckoning" of Infantino's presidency. One Concacaf member, Mexico, recently backed the FIFA president, though Concacaf president Victor Montagliani has largely been viewed as the likeliest challenger to potentially run against Infantino in the March 2027 reelection, per Front Office Sports.

In its Saturday statement, FIFA said it "welcomes legitimate scrutiny" but will not "facilitate or tolerate any process concerning the election of the FIFA President that is inconsistent with FIFA's Statutes, democratic procedures and established governance framework," according to Front Office Sports.