Infantino’s Future Should Be Decided by Election, Says CAF President Motsepe
Confederation of African Football (CAF) president Patrice Motsepe has called for Gianni Infantino’s future as FIFA president to be determined through an election rather than outside pressure.
Infantino is facing growing criticism following his controversial proposal to allow private investors to acquire stakes connected to the World Cup.
The pressure on the FIFA president intensified after Ireland became the latest national football association to withdraw its support for him.
Football’s governing bodies in Europe, North and Central America and Asia have also expressed concerns over Infantino’s leadership.
UEFA, CONCACAF and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) recently issued a joint letter accusing the FIFA leadership of damaging trust by placing an individual above the collective interests of the organisation.
Some football authorities are reportedly seeking Infantino’s resignation before he can contest the next FIFA presidential election in March 2027.
Motsepe backs election process
Motsepe, who is also a FIFA vice-president, said Infantino’s fate should ultimately be decided by FIFA’s member associations.
“If anybody has got any problem against anybody, whether it’s Gianni, whether it is anybody else, follow the process, follow the FIFA process, simple as that,” Motsepe said.
He added that anyone seeking Infantino’s removal should allow the election process to determine whether the FIFA president still has the confidence of the organisation’s 211 member associations.
“If you want to take him out, go for elections; let the 211 member associations decide,” Motsepe said.
“Do that and the vote will express whether they’ve got confidence in him or not.”
Motsepe also urged football authorities to allow the electoral process to continue rather than attempting to remove Infantino before the election.
UEFA pressure increases
The CAF president made the comments while attending the UEFA Super Cup in Salzburg, where he held talks with UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin.
Ceferin’s UEFA has been among the organisations expressing strong opposition to Infantino’s controversial World Cup investment proposal.
UEFA has even threatened to consider boycotting the World Cup and Club World Cup in protest against the scheme.
Motsepe said he preferred that the various concerns surrounding Infantino be addressed through proper hearings and established FIFA procedures.
“I’ve heard so many stories about various issues and am careful to pass judgement on anything,” he said.
“Everybody has a right to be heard. Let’s have a hearing, and a proper forum.”
CAF previously backed Infantino
CAF had previously reaffirmed its support for Infantino following the controversy surrounding the proposed World Cup investment plan.
Motsepe maintained that the proposal did not necessarily constitute a breach of FIFA rules because any major arrangement would ultimately have to be presented to FIFA’s members for approval.
Also Read: NANS Business Grant 2026: Eligibility, Requirements and How to Apply
However, he acknowledged that there were issues surrounding the proposal that needed to be addressed.
“There’s a lot that’s problematic and negative that they have to fix,” Motsepe said.
He added that Infantino had apologised and acknowledged that the process could have been handled differently.
Ireland withdraws support for Infantino
Despite CAF’s continued backing, pressure on Infantino has continued to grow.
The Football Association of Ireland (FAI) announced on Thursday that it had withdrawn its previous letter of support for the FIFA president.
The English FA and Welsh FA had also withdrawn their backing.
The Irish association cited concerns over governance, transparency and consultation as reasons for its decision.
The latest development adds to the uncertainty surrounding Infantino as FIFA prepares for its next presidential election.
For now, Motsepe insists that the decision over Infantino’s future should ultimately be left to FIFA’s member associations through the ballot box.
