Gianni Infantino is facing serious new internal opposition within FIFA, just a few months before the election for the presidency of the world soccer federation.
Sándor Csányi, president of the Hungarian Football Federation and one of the eight vice presidents of the FIFA Council, informed Infantino in a letter that he no longer has the same confidence in him.
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The Hungarian official expressed strong disagreement with the way certain decisions are made at FIFA, arguing that in several cases political expediency appears to take precedence over the interests of soccer.
At the center of his criticism are, among other things, issues related to the 2026 World Cup, as well as FIFA’s plan to attract private investors. According to Tsani, this is a significant decision that was pushed through without prior consultation or meaningful involvement of the federation’s Council.
Chani describes the recent departure of Kevin Lamour as the event that crossed his “red line.” The Frenchman held the position of FIFA’s Chief Operating Officer and was considered one of the federation’s most powerful executives, overseeing key departments, such as the legal department, communications, and human resources.
FIFA announced Lamour’s departure on Monday (August 17), without providing further details regarding the reasons behind the move. He himself, however, had expressed reservations within the federation regarding certain decisions made by Infantino, including, among other things, the proposal to grant part of the World Cup’s commercial rights to private investors.
Chani’s public statement adds yet another significant voice within FIFA distancing itself from Infantino, intensifying the pressure on the Swiss official ahead of the March 2027 election.
*photo source: AP
