Conmebol backs Infantino as it pushes for 64-team 2030 World Cup, Mexico breaks Concacaf ranks
August 7 – South America and Mexico, splitting the Concacaf region, have backed FIFA president Gianni Infantino to continue in post, despite his attempt to sell off the World Cup commercial and organisational rights to a private equity business backed by Thrive Capital, led by by the brother of Jared Kushner, US president Donald Trump’s son-in-law.
Led by Paraguay’s Alejandro Dominguez pictured, the South American confederation Conmebol issued a statement that welcomed the decision “to withdraw the FIFA FORWARD ENTERPRISE proposal,” but refrained from mentioning the FIFA president by name, and detailed that they will not support any process that deviates from the regular presidential elections, to be staged in 2027 in Rabat, Morocc
“Consequently, CONMEBOL will not accompany any action or procedure that is unaware of or deviates from such institutional mechanisms,” said the governing body in a statement. “The CONMEBOL Council calls for preserving the unity of the football family, acting with institutional responsibility, strengthening dialogue and fully respecting the mechanisms of governance.”
It was a thinly veiled statement to back Infantino as the region seeks to get a World Cup expansion to 64 teams across the finish line. Earlier this summer, the World Cup featured 48 teams for the first time, but South America has been lobbying to expand the field again by 2030 when Uruguay, Paraguay and Argentina will be co-hosts of the 2030 finals.
At present, the three South American co-hosts will stage just one match each before the tournament heads to Spain, Portugal and Morocco. However, an expansion will allow South America to welcome more matches. Dominguez, in particular, is keen. He maneuvered to get the Osvaldo Dominguez Stadium lined up as Paraguay’s venue to organize matches, despite the bid book presenting two other venues.
North of Conmebol, Mexico also threw their weight behind the FIFA boss, breaking ranks with Concacaf, the regional confederation which had called for a “comprehensive reckoning” with the presidency after rejecting Infantino’s private equity plans.
In a statement, the Mexican FA (FMF) wrote: “The FMF will neither recognise nor approve any process convened outside of that institutional framework, and it joins the call made … by President Infantino to collectively continue developing football for the benefit of the 211 member associations.”
“The FMF supports President Infantino’s leadership in continuing to promote the development of football through institutional strengthening.”
Mexico’s support comes as a boost for Infantino. It is also understood that some football associations in the Caribbean are sitting on the fence and are inclined to back the current Fifa boss, which would further divide Concacaf.
The UEFA-Concacaf axis is crucial to the European confederation who want Infantino removed as FIFA president. On Thursday, the European confederation confirmed that a boycott of the World Cup and all FIFA competitions remains in place after Infantino issued an apology following a crisis meeting in Morocco, but refused to resign and instead doubled down to retain his position.
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