Infantino vows dialogue as FIFA faces $4.2bn commercial plan fallout
FIFA President Gianni Infantino said on Thursday he will open a dialogue after the collapse of his $4.2 billion commercial rights plan, offering an independent review and promising a council meeting on 15 October to consult all 211 member associations. He made the remarks in an Instagram post from Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, where the Arabian Gulf Cup is being staged.
The article, published on Sep 24, 2026 and edited by Kelvin Ndunga, was filed under Politics, Diplomacy, Legislation, War, Terror, EU Affairs, Elections, News, Analysis, Sports, Football, Basketball, Motorsports and Tennis and appeared in the Corner editorial with a PHOTO GALLERY, JOBS, ABOUT and PRIVACY sections. It includes a Reuters Photo of FIFA President Gianni Infantino and Denmark Football Association Chairman Jesper Moller taken before the Group D match between France and Denmark at Stadium 974 in Doha on 26 November 2022, and cites the Associated Press as its source.
Council meeting to seek consultation
The FIFA Council will meet on 15 October, with the 37‑member body expected to debate a proposal for consultations with all 211 member associations and the six continental confederations. The agenda includes discussions on how to further strengthen FIFA’s decision‑making processes. Infantino said the meeting in Zurich will demonstrate that dialogue, not headline‑chasing, drives the game forward.
FIFA’s 211 member associations collectively own the Switzerland‑based nonprofit, which has amassed at least $5 billion in cash reserves after the financial success of the 2026 men’s World Cup in North America. These reserves underpin the organisation’s ability to fund initiatives without imposing additional burdens on its members. The financial cushion also fuels debates over commercial exploitation of the sport.
Opposition from continental leaders
The ruling council’s three vice‑presidents – Aleksander Ceferin of Europe, Victor Montagliani of North America and Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa of Asia – have publicly opposed Infantino’s proposal for a commercial spinoff backed by investor Josh Kushner. They argue that any such venture should involve the continental bodies that represent the sport’s global constituency. Their resistance reflects broader concerns about transparency and the distribution of commercial revenue.
FIFA offered each of the 211 national federations $20 million to approve the creation of the FIFA Forward Enterprise subsidiary. UEFA, CONCACAF and the Asian Football Confederation countered by suggesting the organisation could instead provide a $10 million dividend from its reserves to each federation. The dispute over the financial terms has been described as the biggest crisis since the anti‑corruption arrests of 2015.
Election challenge looms
Infantino, who has led FIFA since 2016, now faces an election challenge ahead of the 18 March vote by members in Morocco. His tenure has been marked by close ties to U.S. President Donald Trump, including a peace prize awarded to Trump and an intervention that allowed United States striker Folarin Balogun to avoid a mandatory ban at the tournament. The upcoming vote will test whether his vision for commercial expansion and governance reform can retain the support of the global football community.