Fan groups call for removal of Infantino, launch ‘Infantino must go’ petition
August 21 – Fan groups have demanded the resignation of FIFA president Gianni Infantino and reform of the world governing body.
Following in the footsteps of a chorus of stakeholders, a coalition of fans from around the world no longer want to see Infantino in charge of the global game and have launched a new petition titled ‘Infantino must go’.
They call plans to sell off the World Cup “a betrayal football will never forget” and demand that FIFA be “rebuilt so that the current debacle can never happen again.”
The fan groups include Football Supporters Europe (FSE), Football Supporters Africa and, in the UK, the FSA. A liaison with UEFA, FSE is an influential fan body in Europe, advising the continental confederation on ticket prices and supporters issues.
“From his clandestine involvement in the European Super League to the defunct two-years World Cup cycle project, from the extortionate ticketing policy at the 2026 FIFA World Cup to the culture of intimidation and personal power that he developed within international football, Gianni Infantino has betrayed his office and football as a whole,” say the fan groups’ petition.
Infantino has faced a major backlash even after he abandoned his World Cup sell-off plans.
Last week, UEFA, Concacaf and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) issued a joint letter saying they no longer have confidence in Infantino. UEFA has reiterated that its boycott of the World Cup and all FIFA competitions still applies. On September 5, the U20 Women’s World Cup kicks off in Poland.
Some member associations, including Qatar and Mexico, have backed the FIFA president. He enjoys support in Africa (though reportedly fragmenting) and South America while the Oceania region remains on the fence.
The petition continued: “Gianni Infantino has demonstrated a profound failure of leadership, incompatible with democratic governance. The concentration of power around the FIFA Presidency, combined with opaque decision-making, personality cult clientelism, and zero accountability, has destroyed any remaining trust in the world governing body.”
Fan anger had been building in the runup to the 2026 World Cup, a tournament for which FIFA charged record ticket prices, including $33,000 tickets for the World Cup final. The world governing body generated a record $15 billion+ from the first-ever 48-team tournament. Yet, that was not enough for Infantino, as he sought to sell a minority stake in FIFA’s commercial properties to private equity and the Kushner family.
At the time of writing, the fan petition had garnered more than 33,000 signatures.
FIFA has been contacted for comment.
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