Gianni Infantino’s grip on FIFA has weakened after he sold stakes in FIFA competitions to private firms without consulting any federation. Uefa, his fiercest critic, has now threatened a boycott of all FIFA tournaments, including the World Cup, signalling a potential no‑confidence vote.

The backlash has spread beyond Europe. Concacaf has demanded a full review of FIFA’s leadership, while the Asian Football Confederation and Africa have also expressed discontent. Even former allies Carlos Cordeiro and Kevin Lamour have withdrawn their support.

FIFA could force a resignation through an emergency council meeting, which would require 19 of 37 members to call it. If that fails, an extraordinary congress could be triggered by 43 member associations, though the 106 votes needed for a no‑confidence motion make success uncertain.

Potential challengers range from Concacaf president Victor Montagliani to AFC president Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa, with Nasser Al‑Khelaifi a distant option. Infantino has vowed to bring parties back together, hoping to rebuild his support base before the March election.