Politics · Switzerland · 5 hrs ago
Infantino faces questions over Fifa controversies at council meeting
Fifa president Gianni Infantino is due to face questions at a council meeting in Zurich on Thursday.
Council members are expected to raise his involvement in an abandoned plan to sell World Cup rights, the Folarin Balogun affair and the decision to give Donald Trump Fifa’s inaugural peace prize.
Leaders from three football confederations want an independent review of Fifa’s governance and have called for Infantino to resign.
He previously promised an external review, but has not provided details, leaving critics unsure whether it will be independent.
Fifa is also facing questions about payments to Infantino: tax filings show a Fifa subsidiary paid him $1.76 million in 2024, while Fifa’s accounts listed annual compensation of 4.27 million Swiss francs.
Fifa denies paying a second salary or breaking disclosure rules, saying its accounts are independently audited.
Infantino is currently on course to be re-elected unopposed in March, with candidates required to declare their intention to run by 18 November.
Gianni Infantino is expected to face questions from Fifa council members over several controversies at a meeting in Zurich on Thursday.
The issues include an aborted World Cup sell-off plan, the Folarin Balogun affair and the decision to give Donald Trump Fifa’s inaugural peace prize.
The presidents of Uefa, Concacaf and the Asian Football Confederation are expected to press for an independent review of Fifa’s governance.
Infantino has pledged an external review, but details have not been announced and doubts remain over its independence.
He is on course to be re-elected unopposed in March, despite opposition from those confederations.
- Who
- Gianni Infantino and Fifa council members, including the presidents of Uefa, Concacaf and the Asian Football Confederation.
- What
- Infantino is expected to be questioned about Fifa controversies and the proposed review of the organisation’s governance.
- When
- Thursday; the article was published on 14 October 2026.
- Where
- Fifa’s headquarters in Zurich.
- Why
- Council members are seeking answers about the controversies and pressing for an independent governance review.
Infantino and Fifa
Fifa council critics
Governance review
Infantino and Fifa
Infantino pledged an external review after letters from the critics, but details have not been announced.
Fifa council critics
The presidents of Uefa, Concacaf and the Asian Football Confederation are calling for an independent review.
Fifa controversies
Infantino and Fifa
Fifa says it complies with reporting requirements and rejects claims that it failed to disclose financial information or violated its statutes.
Fifa council critics
Council members are expected to question Infantino about the World Cup sell-off plan, the Balogun affair, the peace prize and reported compensation.
Infantino rejected repeated calls for an extraordinary Fifa council meeting after the Fifa Forward Enterprise proposals emerged.
Infantino pledged an external review of Fifa’s future governance in response to letters from three confederation presidents.
Infantino is due to meet council critics at Fifa’s headquarters in Zurich.
The deadline for candidates to declare their intention to stand in the Fifa election.
The Fifa election is scheduled to take place at the congress in Rabat.
- Meeting location
- Fifa headquarters, Zurich
- Council critics
- Aleksander Ceferin, Victor Montagliani and Sheikh Salman Bin Ibrahim al-Khalifa
- Reported payment
- $1.76m paid to Infantino by a Fifa subsidiary, according to US Internal Revenue Service filings
- Declared salary
- 4.27m Swiss francs (£3.88m) in Fifa’s annual report
- Election date
- 18 March in Rabat
What people are saying
Fifa does not pay a second salary to the Fifa president and complies with all reporting requirements in relation to compensation
Fifa strongly rejects any claims that it has failed to disclose any financial information and has violated Fifa’s statutes.
the individual compensation of the Fifa president … shall be made public