Infantino Is Winning the Battle Inside FIFA — and Mexico Is on His Side
After backing down from his privatisation plan, Infantino has won over allies in Africa, Concacaf, AFA and Mexico. But UEFA still threatens a World Cup boycott.
The crisis at FIFA seemed to be swallowing Gianni Infantino whole. Now he is back in the game — and with powerful allies.
It all started when the Swiss-Italian president floated the idea of selling private stakes in FIFA tournaments — both club and national-team competitions — through a structure dubbed FIFA Forward Enterprise. The proposal split the federation down the middle.
But Infantino backed down. He publicly acknowledged the mistake, shelved the project and went looking for support wherever he could find it. He found plenty. Africa, Concacaf, Asian associations, the AFA and Mexico all lined up behind him — and the Swiss official has repositioned himself as a strong frontrunner ahead of the March 2027 elections, according to Olé.
The problem? UEFA has not forgotten. The European bloc, led by Aleksander Ceferin, still has a boycott of FIFA tournaments on the table until it receives guarantees that the idea of commercialising stakes in the World Cup will never return to the agenda. The distrust, according to Olé, is total.
For Mexico, the stance carries double weight. The country is one of three hosts of the 2026 World Cup — alongside Brazil and the United States — and has a direct interest in FIFA's institutional stability. Any turbulence at the top affects the organisation of a tournament being held on home soil.
Golmetria's model gives Mexico a 1.52% title probability in the betting markets — a number that reflects competitive reality far more than any political position inside FIFA.
The institutional battle is not over yet. UEFA is watching Infantino's every move. And with the 2026 World Cup drawing closer, the time left to resolve this behind-the-scenes war is running out fast.