Infantino gets a lifeline with African support, UEFA maintains World Cup boycott threat

FIFA President Gianni Infantino received a lifeline on Thursday when the Confederation of African Football (CAF) unanimously backed his leadership, but the support from one ​of the largest voting blocs in soccer is unlikely to end scrutiny on how the sport is governed globally. The endorsement from CAF, whose 54 member associations account for ‌more than a quarter of FIFA’s 211 members, handed Infantino a much needed boost as he seeks a fourth term in office. However, it does little to quell wider unrest within the global governing body, where opposition has intensified following his failed attempt to open the World Cup to private equity investment.

“We are committed to continue working together with FIFA, its member associations, other football Confederations and stakeholders to safeguard and adhere to governance, due process, and transparency,” CAF President Patrice Motsepe ​said in a statement. The announcement was at odds with the near-global condemnation of Infantino, as UEFA reaffirmed its commitment to boycotting the World Cup the same day, while more countries withdrew ​support for his candidacy. A day after FIFA’s leadership gathered in Rabat to publicly reaffirm support for Infantino, world soccer’s governing body apologised to its 211 members ⁠for mistakes around the abandoned proposal to sell a slice of the World Cup’s commercial future.

FIFA also pledged to review the processes that led to the controversy which sparked the fiercest revolt of Infantino’s tenure after ​national federations complained they had been sidelined. European soccer’s governing body UEFA stressed that its key conditions for a return to FIFA competitions had not been met. “First, the proposals to sell off the major competitions ​had to be withdrawn and secondly, assurances have to be made that such attempts to disfigure the game in this way will never be made again,” UEFA said in a statement.

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“These conditions have not been met. In addition, UEFA made it abundantly clear in its statement on Saturday that it has lost confidence in Gianni Infantino’s presidency. That position holds.” UEFA added that FIFA employees “whose careers depend on his favour” agreeing with Infantino did not alter its position. UEFA did not say ​if teams would boycott FIFA’s next event — the women’s Under-20 World Cup in Poland next month.

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