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Josh Ball

US President Donald Trump highlighted the commercial success of the World Cup when warning football it would be making a “terrible mistake” if Gianni Infantino was forced out, and it may be money worries are exactly what is stopping some from publicly calling for the Fifa chief’s head.
While Uefa, North American governing body Concacaf and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) can afford to be vocal in their opposition, many of the 211 member associations are not so lucky.
The Philippines highlighted its belief that Infantino’s Fifa Forward Enterprise (FFE) – and the one-off US$20 million payment that went with it – was actually a good thing when it backed him to remain in charge, but of the 47 associations in Asia it is one of only a few to have come out in support of either side.
In contrast, Hong Kong’s football bosses have maintained a stony silence, and have not responded to repeated requests for comment. Whether they are waiting to see who wins or are afraid the money tap will be switched off is debatable.
Alex Davani, a former deputy general secretary of Football Australia, believes for many member associations in Oceania it is the latter of those two reasons, primarily because development funding from Fifa is discretionary, not an entitlement.

“I don’t think the sort of institutional silence or the quiet coming out of the region is complicity or apathy or anything like that,” the lawyer and sports administrator told Reuters.
“I actually think it’s almost a predictable response in an environment where the Fifa ... development funding is often at times the entire operational budget for a member association from Oceania. So in that context, I think they’ve been placed in a tricky position.
“On the one hand, you have some of ⁠the big confederations coming out being very vocal about the proposal. And on the other hand, you have a situation where, not right or wrong, and maybe not intentionally, I ‌think it’s just a situation where speaking or forming a view may perhaps risk that funding.
“You don’t want to put that at risk because it’s your livelihood.”
Trump, who finally weighed in nearly two weeks after Infantino’s plan to sell off the World Cup was leaked, warned that removing the 56-year-old Swiss lawyer would be a costly move.
“Fifa would be making a terrible mistake if, for any reason, they even considered replacing president Gianni Infantino,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social account on Tuesday. “He is fantastic, having just presided over the most successful World Cup, by four times, ever presented.
“If he is gone, it will never be as successful or profitable again!”
This summer’s tournament brought in a record US$9 billion, and Infantino had estimated the FFE could generate US$4.2 billion from private equity on a valuation of US$20 billion.
The proposal, which Infantino later withdrew and apologised for, drew a barrage of criticism from across football, with Uefa threatening to boycott future World Cups, and Concacaf calling for a “comprehensive reckoning”.
On Monday, those two bodies, plus the AFC, released an open letter that accused the Fifa president of “deception”.
“Leadership in football is not a possession,” the letter said. “It is not about holding – or demanding – power to be held. It is a duty of service to the football family that entrusts it.
“When trust is broken through deception, when an individual places himself above the collective that entrusted him with authority, that duty has been abandoned.”
Infantino, who faces re-election next March, has denied allegations of wrongdoing, and Fifa has backed its under-fire president, calling the backlash “a concerted and ongoing effort by some to undermine” the organisation.
While the AFC, Concacaf and Uefa want to give Infantino the opportunity to resign, they are also reportedly working together on holding rival international tournaments to Fifa.
The first major tournament that would be impacted by any boycott would be the 2027 women’s World Cup in Brazil, although there are youth events set to start in the coming months.


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Fifa

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Donald Trump, who was awarded the first Fifa Peace Prize by Gianni Infantino before this year’s World Cup, warned that removing the 56-year-old Swiss lawyer would be a costly move. Photo: Reuters

Donald Trump finally broke his silence on the matter with a post on his social media site Truth Social. Photo: Reuters

AFC, Concacaf, Uefa release joint statement attacking Infantino ‘deception’

Fifa president Gianni Infantino has been accused of deception by the AFC, Concacaf and Uefa. Photo: AFP

Gianni Infantino held crisis talks in Morocco last Thursday where Fifa leadership gave him “their full support”. Photo:  AFP

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Fifa president Gianni Infantino has friends around the world, including those in the South American Football Confederation. Photo: AFP

The president of the Norwegian Football Association, Lise Klaveness, is a contender to take Gianni Infantino’s job. Photo: AFP

AFC president Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa lost to Gianni Infantino in the 2016 Fifa presidential election. Photo: AP

Sport

Football

Development funding from game’s world governing body is discretionary, not an entitlement, meaning speaking up risks association’s livelihood


Development funding from game’s world governing body is discretionary, not an entitlement, meaning speaking up risks association’s livelihood.


Donald Trump

Uefa

Asian Football Confederation (AFC)

Trump issues backing for Infantino in Fifa civil war, smaller nations in ‘tricky position’

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Development funding from game’s world governing body is discretionary, not an entitlement, meaning speaking up risks association’s livelihood

Development funding from game’s world governing body is discretionary, not an entitlement, meaning speaking up risks association’s livelihood