FIFA battles back: President Infantino fights attacks

Sun Sep 06 2026 04:06:49 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

FIFA tells critics to focus on facts, not gossip, amid calls for Infantino’s resignation and scandal allegations.

The world of football is in turmoil after a leaked report accused FIFA president Gianni Infantino of a past affair and a controversial commercial scheme. In response, FIFA issued a strong statement condemning unfounded allegations and demanding that criticism not be used to undermine its governance. UEFA and several European federations have called for Infantino’s resignation, while the Mexican and African football bodies defended his mandate. The controversy highlights the tension between established claims of integrity and the high stakes of sports politics.

FIFA’s swift response to gossip – FIFA has labelled the allegations against its president as a concerted and ongoing effort to undermine the organisation, hurling a sharp rebuke at what it calls unsubstantiated claims.

The dispute began after a Daily Telegraph report alleged that Gianni Infantino’s former lover received a severance payout from UEFA following an affair during his tenure as its general secretary. Infantino has denied the accusations, stating they are categorically untrue.

FIFA’s statement also criticised the spur‑of‑the‑moment nature of protests and demanded that criticism be grounded in facts. Crude claims cannot justify attempts to undermine the democratic mandate of FIFA’s president, the organisation said.

Apart from the scandal, Infantino’s proposed FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) – a commercial company that would have sold 21% of its assets to a private investor – stirred additional debate. UEFA has lost confidence in Infantino and Norway’s football federation has called for his resignation, while the Mexican, Conmebol and African federations have opposed any removal of him without a vote of all 211 FIFA members.

FIFA’s latest defence echoes on a broader theme: that scrutiny must not be a licence to distort facts or create distractions from the sport’s progress.

What this means for football fans