Global fan groups launch petition demanding Infantino resign as Fifa president

Supporters’ groups spanning all six Fifa confederations have launched a formal petition demanding the resignation of Gianni Infantino as Fifa president, alongside a root-and-branch overhaul of the governing body’s structure.

The campaign, hosted on Change.org, follows Infantino’s abandoned attempt to secure private backing for a company designed to run Fifa competitions, including the men’s and women’s World Cups. Three continental confederations accused him in an open letter last week of “deception” over how the scheme was developed, while Uefa has stated it has “lost confidence” in his leadership and remains determined to boycott Fifa events.

“The shameful attempt by one individual – the Fifa president himself – to sell off the World Cup to private investors exposed a betrayal football will never forget,” the fan organisations said in a joint statement. “Infantino’s plan was stitched together in secret. Negotiated behind closed doors. Hidden from Fifa’s own members and from the millions of people whose passion makes football what it is.”

The petition has already gathered signatures from continental and national supporter groups across every confederation, with individual fans also being encouraged to add their names. For the organisations involved, the private investment proposal represents a final straw following Fifa’s earlier involvement in discussions around the European Super League and its ticket pricing for this summer’s men’s World Cup.

“A president who repeatedly betrays football and makes a mockery of our game has lost the right to lead it,” the statement continued. “For the credibility of Fifa – and for the future of the game – he must resign.”

Beyond Infantino’s departure, the petition calls for structural reform that would give fans and other key football stakeholders a formal role in decisions shaping the sport’s future.

Ronan Evain, executive director of Football Supporters Europe (FSE), one of the signatories, told the Press Association that removing Infantino was necessary but insufficient on its own. “The departure of Gianni Infantino is a first and a must, but that can only have a positive impact if it’s followed by some reform of the office and of governance,” he said.

“If a man can concentrate so many powers then the governance of Fifa is not fit for purpose. [Fifa] needs to start from scratch. All the reforms from 2016 have been erased or made irrelevant by Infantino.”

Infantino retains support in parts of Africa and South America, and no formal motion to remove him has yet been tabled within Fifa’s membership.