politics
Two weeks that rocked Fifa: how Gianni Infantino unravelled, day by day
Fifa’s president ended the World Cup on a high, but is now battling to save his job after a series of self-inflicted blows
TL;DR
- Gianni Infantino initially celebrated the World Cup and criticized media coverage.
- A secret plan to sell stakes in the World Cup to private investors for £3.1bn was exposed.
- The deal involved the brother of Donald Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner.
- Politicians and football bodies like UEFA reacted with outrage, with UEFA threatening boycotts.
- Infantino called the scheme a proposal and part of a consultation process.
- UEFA accused FIFA officials of trying to enrich themselves and their friends.
- The Guardian exposed the plan, leading UEFA to hold an emergency meeting and threaten a boycott of FIFA competitions.
- US Democrats warned of a congressional investigation, calling it a "smash-and-grab scam."
- Infantino withdrew the plan after listening to views, but UEFA demanded accountability.
- Several countries and key allies withdrew support for Infantino, and demands for his resignation grew.
- Jordan's Prince Ali bin al-Hussein accused Infantino's administration of blackmail.
- FIFA issued a statement of unanimous staff backing for Infantino.
- UEFA doubled down on its boycott threat, dismissing FIFA's staff meeting statement.
- Some allies rallied around Infantino, while others, like Norway, made new ethics complaints.
- Infantino attended the inauguration of a Trump ally in Colombia, reiterating his message of joy and unity through football.