UEFA, the governing body for European football, has declared that it no longer trusts FIFA president Gianni Infantino. This decision follows the collapse of a controversial plan to permit private investment into the World Cup, which faced intense opposition worldwide.
In an official statement released on August 1, 2026, UEFA noted that Infantino has alienated not just European leadership, but many other stakeholders in the football community. The organization previously spearheaded resistance against the FIFA Forward Enterprise initiative, a project designed to generate $4.2 billion by valuing commercial event operations at $20 billion.
While UEFA expressed relief at the cancellation of the proposal, they remained highly critical of the 56-year-old Swiss executive. The governing body accused Infantino of violating core campaign pledges from 2016 regarding financial transparency and the responsible management of association funds.
UEFA labeled the attempted deal as opaque and exclusionary, arguing that it contradicted Infantino’s promise to treat FIFA resources as collective assets rather than personal tools. Furthermore, UEFA pointed out that despite FIFA holding over $5 billion in reserves, the president has failed to effectively reinvest those funds into the growth of the sport.
