Gianni Infantino’s grip on the Fifa presidency is facing an unprecedented backlash over the controversial 2026 World Cup – even as one of his most powerful allies, African football chief Patrice Motsepe, moves to shore up his position.
The Confederation of African Football (Caf) president used a press conference in Morocco – held to announce a major increase in prize money for the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations – to deliver an emphatic public endorsement of the embattled Fifa leader.
“Gianni Infantino has been loyal to Africa, he’s been loyal to me. You need to have a president of Fifa who is as committed to African development and growth as Gianni Infantino is,” Motsepe said.
His intervention comes at a moment when Infantino is under intense fire from across the football world over a World Cup many critics are calling the most contentious in the tournament’s history.
Record revenues and fan fury
On the pitch, the expanded 48‐team 2026 World Cup, which concluded with Spain’s victory over Argentina in New Jersey, has been hailed within Fifa as a sporting and commercial triumph.
Off the pitch, the tournament was a money-spinner on an unprecedented scale. Fifa took in a record $15bn (£11.6bn), far above its original projection of $11bn (£8.5bn).
Motsepe cited both the financial windfall and the performance of the new format as the foundation for his praise, thanking Infantino and Fifa for delivering what he called the “most successful Fifa World Cup in the history of the competition”.
But the revenue boom was closely tied to aggressive hospitality sales and eye-watering ticket prices that have fuelled anger among supporters and officials alike.
Across 102 matches, the median “get-in” price was $916 (about R15,000), effectively shutting many ordinary fans out of the stadiums. Tickets for the final averaged around R195,000, redefining the limits of what the so‐called “people’s game” could cost to watch live.
Peace prize furore and political interference claims
The commercial controversy was only one strand of a tournament dogged by political storms.
The inaugural Fifa Peace Prize, awarded to US President Donald Trump at the World Cup draw in December, has been widely condemned and is expected to be remembered as a serious blemish on Fifa’s record.
Other flashpoints included:
– Somali referee Omar Artan being refused entry into the United States to officiate at the World Cup
– A series of complaints about the treatment of Iran’s national team
– The reversal of a Fifa suspension for red‐carded US forward Folarin Balogun, after what sources described as direct pressure from President Trump
These episodes have intensified doubts about Fifa’s independence and governance under Infantino, with many within the game saying they have lost confidence in his leadership.
Growing calls for Infantino to resign
Opposition to Infantino has hardened in Europe in particular. La Liga president Javier Tebas has joined Uefa executive committee members and 72 members of the European Parliament in urging him to resign.
They argue that the handling of the 2026 World Cup – from governance concerns to commercial excess and political entanglements – has undermined trust in Fifa and damaged the credibility of the sport’s global governing body.
Yet Infantino has long proved a resilient operator, and football politics is rarely straightforward. Past Fifa presidents have survived periods of intense criticism, and Motsepe’s robust defence suggests the current incumbent still retains crucial backing in parts of the world.
Africa’s pivotal role in Fifa power struggle
Central to that power calculus is Africa’s voting clout. The continent holds 54 votes in Fifa elections, just one fewer than Europe’s 55, and has traditionally voted as a unified bloc – making its stance decisive in any leadership contest.
Motsepe underlined the benefits he believes Africa has gained under Infantino, pointing to the enlarged World Cup format that doubled the continent’s representation from five to 10 teams.
“Gianni Infantino has been loyal to Africa, he’s been loyal to me. You need to have a president of Fifa who is as committed to African development and growth as Gianni Infantino is,” the Caf president reiterated.
With the 77th Fifa Congress due to be held in Morocco on 18 March 2027, when Infantino’s future as president is likely to be decided, Motsepe’s comments are widely seen as a clear signal of where African support may lie.
Whether that backing will be enough to overcome the growing global hostility to Infantino’s leadership remains uncertain. But as the battle lines form ahead of 2027, Africa’s role in shaping the next chapter of Fifa’s turbulent history looks set to be decisive.
