Fifa criticises campaign to oust president Infantino
Fifa has issued a strong rebuttal against allegations regarding President Gianni Infantino's personal conduct and professional integrity. The organization claims these reports are part of a coordinated effort to undermine its leadership following disputes over the controversial Fifa Forward Enterprise proposal.
Why it matters
The internal conflict between Fifa and European football associations threatens the stability of global football governance and the future of major international tournaments.
Image source, Getty Images Image caption, Gianni Infantino apologised for the Fifa Forward Enterprise proposal, but now it seems to be business as usual for the Fifa president
Football issues correspondent Published 8 August 2026, 22:47 BST Updated 54 minutes ago Fifa has strongly criticised what it calls a "concerted and ongoing effort" to "undermine" the organisation and its president Gianni Infantino.
The statement follows a Daily Telegraph report , external which claimed Infantino's alleged lover was given a severance payment by Uefa after he had an affair while he was its general secretary.
A Fifa spokesperson told the Telegraph Infantino "strongly denies" the allegations and that they are "categorically untrue".
Fifa has now itself hit out at "unsubstantiated assertions and demonstrably false claims", adding that "speculation and insinuation should not be presented as fact".
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