FIFA has been forced to confirm Gianni Infantino will stand for another term as President – despite his plan to sell off the World Cup
Infantino announced in April his intention to ask for a final four-year term as head of the global game.
But what appeared set to be little more than a coronation in Rabat, Morocco, in March, was thrown into disarray after the scheme to sell 20 per cent of the game’s crown jewels to a private US consortium emerged.
Infantino had already been on the back foot after intervening at the behest of US President Donald Trump to waive US striker Falorin Balogun’s red card ban.
But the leaking of the sell-off idea – dropped amid the worldwide condemnation – saw opponents, led by Uefa, gather their forces.
Uefa threatened to withdraw from all future Fifa tournaments unless Infantino quit – although that idea was pulled back last month after Fifa gave a commitment that there would be no return to the project.
READ MORE ON FOOTBALL
CRACKER
Win stunning £600k 4-Bedroom Luxury Home & BMW X5 for just £1.79 with our discount
FOOTIE PROBE
Police launch investigation after Cardiff ace appeared to grab young fan
Even so, Uefa, Asia and the North and Central American confederation Concacaf launched legal proceedings alleging Infantino’s effective £15bn valuation of the tournament would have amounted to fraud.
The three confederations want Swiss authorities to intervene but also lodged legal suits demanding “disclosure” of documents in three US states – New York, Florida and Colorado.
A number of national bodies, including the FA, have officially withdrawn their letters of support for Infantino, who has spent recent weeks travelling round the globe seeking to shore up his backers.
Asked on Saturday if he was sticking to his plans to stand again, while attending the opening weekend of the women’s under-20 World Cup in Poland, Infantino declined to answer.
Most read in Sport
WORRYING SCENE
Rugby ace stretchered off with horror neck injury on live TV as game delayed
STAR PAIN
World Cup star rushed to hospital with broken leg so horrific rival cries
OH BRO-JA
Former Chelsea ace in X-rated outburst at his own fans after confrontation
SON OF WAR
Son of Man Utd icon sent off after heated touchline brawl involving subs bench
SUN VEGAS WELCOME OFFER: GET UP TO £100 BONUS
But 24 hours later, a Fifa spokesman said: “The FIFA president announced in April that he will stand for re-election in 2027.
“Of course, nothing has changed. Mr Infantino will be standing for re-election.”
Last week, Fifa hit back in the legal spat, branding the Uefa moves a “smear campaign” and suggesting it was little more than a fishing exercise.
Uefa, though, believes Infantino is struggling to hold on to his flagging authority, arguing that if there is nothing to hide, that will be clear from the disclosure of all relevant documentation.
As it stands, though, Infantino, 56, who has been in charge of Fifa since 2016, is the only candidate for the elections.
He is determined to stand, even though former Fifa governance committee head Miguel Maduro has insisted that having been elected three times previously, Infantino is ineligible to ask for a fourth term in power under the organisation’s statutes.
Uefa is ready to get behind Canada’s Victor Montagliani to be the “clean hands” candidate to take Infantino on.
So far, though, Montagliani has kept his counsel, with the deadline for nominations looming on November 18.
Even so, the fact that Fifa have ended up confirming that Infantino is sticking to his plans from five months ago suggests Zurich is starting to feel the global heat.