Gianni Infantino, president of FIFA, has chosen the slogan "Football belongs to everyone, everywhere in the world" for his campaign to win a new term, weeks after backing away from a plan to bring private-sector investors into FIFA's commercial rights, chief among them the World Cup.
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Infantino said, in comments relayed by journalist Rob Harris and reported by The Guardian, that he wants to give everyone a chance to dream and take part, and narrow the gap between the major federations and the rest. The slogan places developing football in less-privileged countries at the center of his campaign message, even as he faces objections over how he attempted to manage the federation's most important commercial assets.
The plan that sparked the controversy involved creating a commercial entity, with a 20% stake to be offered to investors, whose business would include rights tied to FIFA-organized tournaments. The proposal was never to sell the World Cup or fully transfer ownership of the tournament, but opponents felt that giving investors a stake in its revenues and commercial operations could affect the sport's governance and global balance of power. FIFA abandoned the plan after opposition to it widened.
Following this, Infantino faced calls to resign from officials at UEFA, the AFC, and CONCACAF. Withdrawing the plan didn't end the dispute; the French Football Federation announced on Thursday that it was withdrawing its support for his re-election. Its president, Philippe Diallo, said trust in Infantino had been damaged, accusing him of harming football's image and unity.
Meanwhile, a FIFA spokesperson confirmed to Reuters that Infantino intends to go ahead with his candidacy in the elections scheduled for March 2027. No rival has officially announced their candidacy so far.
