FIFA president Gianni Infantino chaired the world football body’s annual council meeting at its headquarters in Switzerland on Thursday amid a push to oust him.
It was the first time he faced the 37-members since he was forced to drop his secretive and divisive World Cup sell-off plan.
''It's an attempt to protect his presidency, that's now in its biggest crisis with 11 years, so far. Infantino wants four more years to run FIFA through 2031,” said Associated Press’ Graham Dunbar**.**
The confrontation with Infantino’s most determined opponents from Europe and North America comes ahead of a 18 November deadline for candidates to enter the president race.
When the World Cup final was played near New York on 19 July, he was cruising toward a fourth and final term through to 2031.
The private investor plan was revealed nine days later.
Thursday’s meeting would be the best chance for his critics, mostly from European soccer body UEFA, to let him know how they feel.
Member federations have five more weeks to find a candidate with broad appeal, who they can take to the 211 voters worldwide ahead of the March 2027 elections in Rabat, Morocco.
Infantino did apologise to his toughest critics for the failed World Cup plan on Thursday, but gave no further details.
Pressed by European soccer officials for written evidence about his secretive private equity plan that provoked a global rift, Infantino asked them to submit written questions.
Neither did he explain US President Donald Trump’s intervention in the World Cup that saw a top American player’s red card withdrawn during the tournament.
Increasingly, Infantino's critics believe that FIFA has come to be about just one man who has too little respect for process, norms, and rules.
His close political ties to leaders like Trump is also seen as bad for the organisation.
“We need a person of integrity, someone who can be expected to restore the reputation of the association, which has undoubtedly been lost,” said German soccer leader Bernd Neuendorf.
The World Cup tournament this year, co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico, was more profitable than ever. FIFA's reserves now stand at close to $6 billion.
On the agenda today was Infantino's proposal to give $15 million to each of the 211 national member federations worldwide, who will be choosing the organisation's next president.
They also discussed how and why a peace prize was created by Infantino and given to Trump at the World Cup draw last December.