FIFA Crisis 2026: BBC Tally Shows 124 Nations Oppose Infantino Ahead of Presidential Election

The current tally shows :

• 73 in favor of Infantino — strongest support from CAF (Africa), Conmebol (South America), and OFC (Oceania).
• 124 against him — UEFA (Europe) is the most unified opposition bloc, with Concacaf and the AFC also largely in the opposing camp.
• 13 undecided — a fluid group that could shift the numbers.

Notable national positions include: the English FA and the Football Association of Wales have formally withdrawn their support for his re-election ; Norway has called for Infantino to resign ; and U.S. Soccer has joined calls for 'meaningful change' .

What Triggered the Crisis: The Abandoned FFE Plan

In late July 2026, FIFA proposed selling minority stakes in a new commercial subsidiary — 'FIFA Football Enterprises' (FFE) — valued at up to $20 billion, aiming to raise about $4.2 billion from private investors . The plan would have sold stakes in the commercial rights to the World Cup and other FIFA tournaments. Infantino offered each of FIFA's 211 member associations $40 million if they backed the proposal .

Regional confederations said they were blindsided, learning of the plan through media reports rather than official channels . On 31 July, facing 'widespread opposition,' Infantino scrapped the plan . But the damage was done.

The Joint Open Letter (10 August 2026)

Three of FIFA's six confederations — UEFA, the AFC, and Concacaf — issued a joint open letter accusing Infantino of a 'fundamental breach of trust' and 'deception' . Key language from the letter includes :

• 'Trust had been broken through deception.'
• The letter called for 'leadership that serves football, not seeks to command it.'
• It demanded a fully independent review into how the FFE proposal was developed and pushed forward without confederation knowledge.
• The three confederations said the episode 'raises serious questions about the integrity of football's leadership.'

UEFA separately stated that Infantino's apology 'changes nothing' . The three confederations represent 143 of FIFA's 211 member associations .

Where the Blocs Stand

For Infantino: CAF's executive committee met on 6 August and 'unanimously reconfirmed its support' for the FIFA president . Conmebol released a statement saying it would not back a vote to oust Infantino . OFC's 11 votes are also expected to support him.

Against Infantino: UEFA is the most vocal opposition bloc. Concacaf and the AFC are aligned with Europe. Within Europe, the English FA, the Football Association of Wales, and Norway have taken the strongest public stances .

Key battleground: The 46 AFC votes are critical — while the AFC leadership signed the open letter attacking Infantino, some individual Asian member associations may still support him .

Key Upcoming Milestones

• 18 November 2026 — Candidate deadline. This is the deadline for candidates to formally declare and submit their candidacy for the FIFA presidency . Any challenger to Infantino must come forward by this date.
• March 2027 — FIFA Presidential Election. Infantino is expected to stand for a fourth (and final) term. He needs 106 votes (a simple majority of the 211 members) to win . If no other candidate stands, he would effectively be re-elected by acclamation.

Potential no-confidence route. If at least 43 member associations (one-fifth of FIFA) submit a written request, an extraordinary congress can be called to hold a vote of no confidence — which would function as a de facto election . That threshold has not yet been publicly confirmed as met.

Trump's backing. Notably, former U.S. President Donald Trump has publicly backed Infantino amid the crisis , adding a geopolitical dimension to the vote-pulling efforts.

The picture is likely to shift further in the coming months , but the BBC tally has laid bare a level of opposition that Infantino has never faced before in his decade-long leadership of world football.