Fifa President Gianni Infantino is facing calls for independent oversight of the organisation following the 2026 World Cup and his proposal to privatise the tournament. After the tournament concluded, Infantino proposed injecting $20bn in private capital to privatise the World Cup, with assistance from JP Morgan and Thrive Capital.
Infantino has declared he could run for re-election in 2027, despite Fifa statutes limiting presidents to "no more than three terms of office". He was first elected in 2016 and re-elected in 2019 and 2023. Many within Fifa reportedly learned of the privatisation gambit through the news rather than proper consultation.
While soccer's regional governing bodies in Europe (Uefa), Asia (AFC), and North, Central America and the Caribbean (Concacaf) have publicly rebuked Infantino, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) has "unanimously reconfirmed its support" for him. Infantino needs 106 votes to survive his re-election bid next March.
FairSquare, a London-based non-profit human-rights organisation, recently launched a "Reboot Fifa" campaign. This campaign aims to declare Infantino ineligible for the March election and create a class-action complaint against him for allegedly violating Fifa's governing statutes on political neutrality.