Federations question Infantino’s reform pledge, demand deeper revision of FIFA

FIFA president Gianni Infantino’s proposal to review the governing body’s decision-making processes has failed to allay the concerns of several member associations, with football officials in Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden and Wales saying the reforms do not address deeper management problems.

In a letter seen by Reuters on Monday, Infantino wrote to FIFA’s 211 member associations proposing an independent review of FIFA’s decision-making processes, as well as consultations on governance reforms, following opposition to his failed attempt to sell a 20% stake in FIFA’s commercial operations, including World Cup rights.

In a conciliatory tone, Infantino also said he would propose consultations with confederations, member associations and other stakeholders to strengthen FIFA’s decision-making.

The proposal to sell a stake in FIFA’s commercial rights was dropped in July after strong opposition from continental confederations, with UEFA, the Asian Football Confederation and CONCACAF accusing FIFA of pushing through the plan without adequate consultation.

Infantino has since faced a backlash, with the European body expressing a loss of confidence in the current president.

Infantino also said in the letter that member associations’ positions on proposals or governance matters will not affect their treatment by FIFA, whose development and solidarity programs will continue under existing rules.

The Swiss is up for re-election next March, with his opponents scrambling to find a candidate to challenge him. People familiar with the discussions told Reuters this month that Infantino still appeared to have enough support to win another term, prompting critics to focus on curtailing the FIFA president’s powers.

REFORMS WILL NOT WIN OVER CRITICS

German Football Association (DFB) president Bernd Neuendorf, a member of the FIFA Council, dismissed the letter on Tuesday as an attempt to secure another term in office.

“I consider Gianni Infantino’s letter a transparent ploy to secure his re-election next year,” Neuendorf said.

“FIFA now seems to have recognized that changes are necessary. However, Gianni Infantino is definitely not the right person to lead the reform process. He has lost all credibility.”

The Dutch Football Association (KNVB) echoed those concerns, saying the proposals had failed to restore confidence despite containing some of the elements it had previously called for.

The KNVB, one of FIFA’s founding members, last month proposed holding an international summit in Amsterdam to overhaul FIFA and called for Infantino to be replaced by 2027.

“The proposed measures are partly in line with our call for reforms within FIFA. Practice will show whether this is indeed the case,” said a spokesman for the Dutch FA, quoted by the Dutch news agency ANP.

“At the same time, the proposals cannot be viewed separately from (public) pressure and would not have arisen without the current dynamics.”

CALLS FOR NEW LEADERSHIP

Swedish FA president Simon Astrom welcomed parts of the proposal but said it fell short of the wider reforms required.

“The content of the letter is consistent with what we have been calling for for a long time,” Astrom said.

“These initiatives are late and several measures should have been taken a long time ago.”

Astrom added that the letter did not change Sweden’s view that FIFA needed new leadership.

Football Association of Wales chief executive Noel Mooney also disputed the characterization of the letter as a major reform package.

“It’s not really saying reform of FIFA itself. It’s talking about reform around strategic projects and initiatives,” Mooney told BBC Radio Wales.

Mooney reiterated his opposition to the abandoned private investment plan, saying FIFA should use its existing financial resources to support member associations rather than seek outside investors.

“You’re not looking for someone to sell parts of the game. The World Cup doesn’t need private capital,” he said.

– The end

Issued by:

Saurabh Kumar

Published on:

22 Sep 2026 23:50 IST