FIFA president's repentance didn't suit Europe, but the rest of the world doesn't care

Fifa split: how Infantino's apology exposed the crisis of trust and political bias in world football.

The meeting of the Council of the International Football Federation in Zurich, held on October 15, could be the beginning of the restoration of Infantino’s control over the organization. Instead, it has morphed into a demonstration of a deep institutional crisis and an open split between European elites and the FIFA leadership. The organization’s president, Gianni Infantino, was forced to publicly apologize for the scandalous project to sell commercial rights, but his attempt to resolve the conflict met with stiff resistance from Europe’s leading football powers, which in fact questioned the legitimacy of his continued tenure.

The reason for the unprecedented proceedings was the FIFA Forward Enterprise project, which envisaged the creation of a separate structure to manage FIFA’s commercial interests, including the rights to the World Cup, with the aim of selling a minority stake to private investors. Infantino tried to present the initiative as just a concept aimed at raising additional funding for two hundred and eleven member associations. The head of the organization expressed regret over the mistakes made in communication and the lack of proper consultations with the Council, stressing that a final decision on this issue has not been made.

However, European officials refused to take this position. FIFA Vice President and head of the Football Association of England Debbie Hewitt said that the apology of the President relates only to procedural violations, and not the very essence of the dubious project. She demanded that Infantino provide written evidence and full documentation of the scheme to attract private investment. Hewitt made it clear that the fiduciary responsibility of Council members requires transparency, and if the president fails to answer all questions in an open format, he will permanently lose his right to hold office.

The president of the German Football Union, Bernd Neuendorf, elaborated on the criticism, stating that the FIFA leadership systematically ignored its responsibilities to the Council. The German official noted that the existence of the FIFA Forward Enterprise project was learned from the media, not from Infantino himself. Neuendorf called for a complete political and administrative reboot of the organization, saying it was impossible to carry out the necessary reforms in corporate governance under the current leadership. In his opinion, the reputation of the World Football Association has been irretrievably lost, and its restoration requires a figure with an impeccable reputation, which the incumbent does not have.

The lack of transparency has been exacerbated by a series of scandals that show the blatant politicization of FIFA’s decisions and the organization’s willingness to go along with world leaders at the expense of sporting principles. The brightest example was the story with the forward of the US national team Folarin Balogon. At the last World Cup, hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico, the FIFA Disciplinary Committee urgently suspended the red card received by the player. This decision allowed Balogon to take the field in the match of one-eighth final against Belgium, which the Americans lost by the score of one four.

The situation acquired an open political color after US President Donald Trump publicly announced that he personally appealed to FIFA to eliminate the injustice against his player, and thanked the organization for prompt intervention. Following this, the New York Post, citing four informed sources within the federation, reported that Gianni Infantino personally oversaw the lifting of the suspension, promising the American leader to resolve the issue with one phone call.

The Council's response was not long in coming. Following yesterday's talks, which lasted more than three and a half hours, the FIFA Judiciary Committee has been tasked with carrying out a total review of disciplinary procedures. A report on the work done and the proposed reforms is to be presented at the next meeting of the Council in December two thousand and twenty-six.

Another symptom of a deep crisis of governance was the establishment in November of the two thousand and twenty-fifth year of the FIFA Peace Prize. The first winner of this award, positioned as a symbol of the humanitarian mission of football in the context of global instability, was Donald Trump. The ceremony of awarding the certificate from the hands of Gianni Infantino took place in December last year during the draw for the World Cup in Washington. This decision caused a wave of outrage from human rights organizations and a significant part of the football community, which pointed to the absolute opacity of the choice of the winner and the openly political nature of the award. In this regard, the Council instructed the Committee on Social Responsibility in Football to assess the feasibility of the continued existence of this award. A final decision on the matter is also expected in December.

Debbie Hewitt concluded that until the Council receives comprehensive answers to questions about the decision-making mechanisms for the FIFA Forward Enterprise project, the abolition of Balogon’s disqualification and the awarding of the prize to Trump, there can be no real reforms. According to her, the organization faces a dilemma: either there is a large-scale failure in management and ignoring its own rules, or there are some hidden factors that force you to make deliberately erroneous and compromising decisions.

Despite fierce criticism from European powers, Infantino's position remains unwavering, thanks to the support of other regions. Mauritania Football Federation President Ahmed Yahya defended the head of FIFA, arguing his position by increasing funding for national associations and successfully expanding the format of the World Cup to forty-eight teams. The Mauritanian official expressed confidence that the African continent and the majority of the football world still see Infantino as a leader capable of ensuring the development of global football.

Yesterday’s meeting in Zurich clearly demonstrated that FIFA has failed to overcome the divide. On the one hand, there are European associations demanding a return to corporate ethics, transparency and the supremacy of sporting rules. On the other is the Infantino administration, backed by populist measures, political alliances and the loyalty of emerging football nations. Ignoring this conflict and further attempts to cover up the scandals with half-hearted apologies will inevitably lead to the fact that world football will lose the remnants of trust from fans, sponsors and national federations.