FIFA President Gianni Infantino has received public backing from at least 20 national football federations to remain in charge of world football, as a growing crisis over his leadership and a controversial proposal involving the commercial rights of the FIFA World Cup continues to divide the global game.

The latest show of support on Monday comes amid mounting agitation from several influential football bodies, particularly in Europe, over Infantino’s leadership style and the now-abandoned plan to sell a 20 per cent stake in the commercial rights of the World Cup to private investors. Blueprint reports

The 20 federations publicly backing Infantino include Argentina, Morocco, Qatar, DR Congo, Mexico, Djibouti, United Arab Emirates, Mauritania, Kuwait, Niger, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Lebanon, Bhutan, Mongolia, Philippines, Egypt, The Gambia, Paraguay and Bangladesh. Reports indicate that several other associations and influential confederations have also maintained support for the FIFA president despite the escalating opposition.

The crisis behind the support

The current battle surrounding Infantino’s presidency was triggered by FIFA’s controversial plan to sell a 20 per cent stake in the commercial rights of its major competitions, including the World Cup, in a deal reportedly valued at about $4.2 billion.

The proposal generated an unprecedented backlash from within the global football family, with critics arguing that FIFA was attempting to privatise a major part of football’s most valuable asset without adequate consultation and transparency.

The plan was eventually withdrawn after strong opposition and threats of action by powerful football organisations. However, rather than ending the crisis, the withdrawal appears to have deepened divisions within FIFA.

Infantino reportedly apologised to FIFA’s 211 member associations after the proposal collapsed, acknowledging the controversy surrounding the process and insisting that the project would not proceed because it had created divisions that were no longer in the interest of football.

The crisis has since developed into a wider debate over trust, governance and whether Infantino should continue leading FIFA beyond the expiration of his current term.

Europe, asia and concacaf turn up pressure

The opposition intensified on Sunday when UEFA, the Asian Football Confederation, AFC, and CONCACAF issued a joint open letter strongly criticising Infantino over the failed World Cup commercial rights proposal.

The three confederations accused the FIFA president of acting unilaterally and said the episode represented a serious breach of trust.

They also called for an independent investigation into the circumstances surrounding the proposal, describing the matter as a major lapse in judgement and raising concerns about the way decisions affecting the future of world football were being made.

The confederations warned that the withdrawal of the proposal alone was not enough to restore confidence, insisting that stronger assurances were needed to prevent similar attempts to privatise major FIFA competitions in the future.

The dispute has also fuelled calls from some football bodies for Infantino to reconsider his planned bid for another term as FIFA president in 2027. U.S. Soccer and Canada Soccer are among those that have joined calls for governance reforms as pressure on the FIFA leadership continues to grow.

Battle lines drawn across world football

The latest developments have exposed a major division within the world game’s governing structure.

On one side are UEFA and sections of the AFC and CONCACAF, which have openly questioned Infantino’s leadership and demanded reforms. On the other side are a number of African, Asian, South American and CONCACAF associations that have publicly expressed confidence in his administration.

The support of the 20 federations is particularly significant because FIFA operates on the principle of one member association, one vote at its Congress. This means that backing from smaller football nations can be just as important in a presidential election as support from the game’s traditional powerhouses.

Infantino’s administration has also enjoyed considerable support from parts of Africa and Asia, where FIFA’s development programmes have increased funding for member associations and football infrastructure.

At the FIFA Congress in Vancouver earlier this year, Infantino highlighted the investment made through the FIFA Forward programme, saying the organisation had distributed billions of dollars towards football development since he took office in 2016.

FIFA also said funding for the 2027 to 2031 cycle of the programme would rise by 20 per cent to $2.7 billion, with increased support planned for member associations around the world.

For many of Infantino’s supporters, particularly smaller and developing football nations, these programmes form part of the argument for his continued leadership.

Infantino eyes another term

The crisis comes barely three months after Infantino formally announced that he would seek re-election as FIFA president in 2027.

Speaking at the 76th FIFA Congress in Vancouver in May, Infantino told the 211 member associations that he would again contest for the presidency after nearly a decade in office.

Infantino was first elected FIFA president in February 2016 following the departure of Sepp Blatter during FIFA’s corruption crisis. He was subsequently re-elected and is currently serving the 2023 to 2027 term.

His announcement of a new bid means the next election will determine who leads FIFA from 2027 to 2031.

Before the current controversy erupted, Infantino appeared to have substantial institutional backing, with major continental blocs including CAF, AFC and CONMEBOL having previously indicated support for his leadership.

But the failed World Cup rights proposal has dramatically changed the atmosphere ahead of the election.

Support grows as calls for change continue

The public backing from the 20 federations demonstrates that, despite the growing agitation, Infantino has not lost his political base within world football.

Argentina’s football authorities, for instance, have publicly backed the FIFA president while also acknowledging that the failed commercial proposal had created uncertainty and required FIFA to address governance concerns.

Morocco, Qatar, Egypt, DR Congo, Niger, The Gambia and several other African and Asian nations have also joined the public show of support, strengthening Infantino’s position at a time when his critics are attempting to build a broader coalition for change.

However, UEFA has insisted that declarations of support from some federations do not address the fundamental concerns raised over the governance of FIFA and the handling of the proposed deal.

The issue, therefore, is no longer simply about whether the 20 per cent World Cup stake proposal has been withdrawn. The bigger question is whether the controversy has permanently damaged trust between Infantino and some of football’s most powerful stakeholders.

FIFA faces defining months

With the 2027 presidential election drawing closer, the coming months could prove decisive for Infantino and FIFA.

The FIFA president must now attempt to preserve the support of member associations while also managing an increasingly vocal opposition demanding transparency, accountability and institutional reforms.

The latest backing from 20 federations gives Infantino a significant political boost and underlines his enduring influence across the global football community.

Yet the opposition from UEFA and other major football bodies means the crisis is far from over.

For the first time in years, the debate over FIFA’s future has become a public battle, with national associations, continental confederations and senior football figures openly taking positions for and against the leadership of the man who has controlled world football since 2016.

As the agitation over the abandoned World Cup rights proposal continues, the road to the 2027 FIFA presidential election is increasingly shaping up to be one of the most politically charged periods in the history of the world game’s governing body.