FIFA war: Infantino accuses big powers of stifling global football | OneFootball

FIFA president Gianni Infantino used his visit to the Dominican Republic to deliver harsh criticism of the “great powers” of global football. During a meeting with the Caribbean Football Union (CFU), the leader called for greater fairness for countries with less football development and questioned those who hinder that growth, amid the crisis facing his administration.

Political backing after the halt of a multimillion-dollar project

The meeting in the Caribbean helped Infantino gather key support after being forced to backtrack on the FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) initiative. This controversial project sought to sell 20% of the commercial rights to FIFA tournaments — including the World Cup — to private investors, sparking strong resistance within Concacaf and other confederations because of its negative impact on international football revenue.

On the matter, Infantino praised the dialogue that took place: “A lot has happened in recent weeks, and it is important to listen, to pay attention, and also to be able to express how one feels. I am very happy with all the support I am receiving here,” he told the institution’s official media.

Indirect criticism of UEFA and a call for opportunities

The Swiss official stressed that the absolute priority of his administration must be to drive the development of the sport across all 211 member associations. Without explicitly naming UEFA, he took aim at the selfishness of the most powerful nations:

Heading toward the Rabat Congress

Finally, the head of world football guaranteed that all future decisions by the organization will strictly respect the institutional statutes and democratic mechanisms. This strategic positioning comes ahead of the Rabat Congress on March 18, a key event where Infantino will seek to secure his fourth presidential term in an election in which, for now, no serious rivals appear to be on the horizon.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here.