A fresh leadership crisis may be brewing in world football following reports that the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) has called on FIFA President Gianni Infantino to step down from office with immediate effect.

According to a report by The Telegraph Football on Saturday, UEFA has privately urged Infantino to resign amid growing disagreements over the governance and commercial direction of world football. Blueprint reports

The report further claimed that if the FIFA president declines to step aside, UEFA could pursue a vote of no confidence aimed at removing him from office.

Neither FIFA nor UEFA had issued an official statement confirming the reported development as of the time of filing this report.

Tensions between FIFA and UEFA deepen

The reported demand comes against the backdrop of increasing tensions between FIFA and UEFA over several major policy decisions in recent years.

The two governing bodies have differed on issues including the expansion of FIFA competitions, the international match calendar and the growing commercialisation of global football.

Most recently, FIFA abandoned a controversial proposal to commercialise the FIFA World Cup through the sale of private equity stakes in a move that reportedly attracted strong opposition from several football stakeholders.

That proposal also led to the resignation of FIFA Senior Adviser Carlos Cordeiro, who described the planned sale as a bad deal for world football.

The latest reports suggest that disagreements between the two organisations may have widened beyond policy issues to questions surrounding FIFA’s leadership.

Infantino’s presidency under renewed scrutiny

Infantino has served as FIFA president since 2016 after succeeding Sepp Blatter, who left office following corruption investigations that rocked world football.

During his tenure, FIFA has introduced several reforms, including the expansion of the FIFA World Cup, increased funding for member associations through the FIFA Forward programme and the launch of new international club competitions.

However, some football administrators and European football leaders have criticised aspects of his leadership, particularly decisions relating to governance, scheduling and commercial partnerships.

The reported call for his resignation represents one of the most serious challenges to his leadership in recent years.

Vote of no confidence remains uncertain

Although reports indicate that UEFA could seek a vote of no confidence should Infantino refuse to resign, the process would require significant backing from FIFA’s member associations.

FIFA comprises more than 200 national football associations, making any attempt to remove a sitting president a complex political process.

Football governance experts note that any formal move against the FIFA president would depend on the provisions of FIFA’s statutes and the level of international support for such an initiative.

At present, there is no indication that a formal vote has been initiated.

World football awaits official response

The reported development has generated widespread reactions across the football community, with many observers awaiting official clarification from both FIFA and UEFA.

Should the dispute escalate, it could have significant implications for the administration of global football, particularly as preparations continue for major international competitions, including the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup and the 2030 FIFA World Cup.

For now, the reports remain unconfirmed by the two governing bodies, and attention will be on whether either organisation issues an official response in the coming days.