FIFA President Gianni Infantino faces his opponents on Thursday in Zurich, in the first meeting of the Council since April 28, following a crisis last summer that nearly ousted him. The 56-year-old president appears to be in a much better position than expected, despite the previous clustering of European, Asian, North, Central American and Caribbean confederations demanding his departure.
Financial demands and confidence vote
The first meeting of the FIFA Council after the crisis could have allowed Infantino's opponents to corner him by calling for a confidence vote, a possibility that was abandoned. On September 18, the presidents of UEFA and CONCACAF requested that FIFA use part of its financial reserves to pay at least $10 million to each of the 211 member national associations.
Difficulty in presenting an alternative candidate
The benefit of this demand, which is expected to be the main topic of discussion on Thursday, remains limited if the rebellious continental confederations are unable to present their own candidate for the FIFA presidency before the deadline set for November 18. One insider into the international bodies states that Cheferin and Montaliani are giving Infantino a chance to strengthen his re-election.
Diverse meeting agenda
Thursday's agenda also includes the first edition of the FIFA Women's Club World Cup, which is likely to be hosted by the United States in early 2028, becoming the third major tournament in a row to be hosted there after the Men's Club World Cup in 2025 and the 2026 World Cup. The Council is scheduled to review the "FIFA Peace Award," following the major controversy surrounding its first awarding last year to Donald Trump.
Source: Arriyadiyah newspaper
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