FIFA warns against 'concerted effort' to undermine Gianni Infantino

The FIFA organization issued a warning on Saturday against what it perceives as a concerted and ongoing attempt to undermine its operations and its president, Gianni Infantino. The concern stems from a recent dispute over Infantino's leadership following the failure of a plan to create a subsidiary to oversee men's World Cup and other events, which involved offering up to a 20% stake to external investors.

This proposal drew criticism from UEFA, the European governing body, which threatened to boycott future World Cups, along with several national associations, senior FIFA officials, and calls for Infantino's resignation. Infantino managed to persuade FIFA's Board of Management to express their full support for him during a crisis meeting in Rabat, Morocco, on Wednesday.

Reports emerged on Friday that a female employee, allegedly in a relationship with Infantino during his tenure as UEFA general secretary, had received a significant payment and funding for her MBA course. UEFA confirmed the departure payment and stated that it was in line with regulations at the time. FIFA's spokesman responded by emphasizing that Infantino strongly denies these allegations, which are categorically untrue.

The latest scrutiny has intensified the pressure on Infantino, with UEFA expressing a lack of confidence in him and Norwegian FA President Lise Klaveness calling for his resignation. Despite the controversy, Infantino continues to receive strong backing from FIFA members, with the Confederation of African Football (CAF) unanimously supporting his leadership and CONMEBOL opposing any attempt to remove him without a vote of all member associations.

FIFA emphasized that those lacking member association support should not attempt to achieve their goals through unsubstantiated assertions and demonstrably false claims.