FIFA council pushes for emergency meeting amid Infantino leadership challenge

FIFA’s executive council is confronting a growing internal revolt as several members seek to convene an extraordinary general meeting (EGM) that could evolve into a formal challenge to President Gianni Infantino’s leadership. The push for an EGM, which would allow a broader review of recent governance decisions, has been reported by The Guardian and follows mounting criticism of Infantino’s recent proposals, including an aborted plan to sell stakes in the World Cup.

Council members say the initiative to call an EGM began before Infantino’s sale proposal and is now focused on securing an independent review of the decision to lift Folarin Balogun’s suspension during the tournament—a move that involved multiple phone calls from former U.S. President Donald Trump. The requested review aims to assess the procedural integrity of the suspension’s reversal, and the growing dissent within the council signals a potential escalation toward a full leadership contest.