UEFA Accuses Infantino of Prioritizing "Private Interests" Over Football's Interests

The UEFA criticized FIFA President Gianni Infantino for putting football's interests second, citing his late arrival at the FIFA Congress in Asuncion, Paraguay. Infantino had been in the Middle East attending events alongside US President Donald Trump and leaders from Saudi Arabia and Qatar, which UEFA deemed as prioritizing private interests over the game. UEFA delegates, including president Aleksander Ceferin and Football Association chair Debbie Hewitt, staged a protest by leaving at the original start time.

Key Takeaways:

• FIFA President Gianni Infantino was accused by UEFA of prioritizing "private interests" over football's interests due to his late arrival at the FIFA Congress.
• Infantino had been attending events in the Middle East alongside US President Donald Trump and leaders from Saudi Arabia and Qatar.
• UEFA delegates staged a protest by leaving at the original start time, citing the changes to the timings of the FIFA Congress as "deeply regrettable".
• FIFA President Infantino apologized to delegates for his late arrival but was unable to convince UEFA that his decision to attend the events was justified.
• The protest was a result of UEFA members feeling that the game comes first and that Infantino's priority should have been the FIFA Congress.
• The 2034 World Cup is scheduled to take place in Saudi Arabia, the 2022 World Cup was in Qatar, and the 2025 Club World Cup in the United States.
• Infantino had a meeting with world leaders in politics and economy, but was unable to attend the Congress on time.

Statistics:

• 211 nations are represented at the FIFA Congress.
• 3 World Cups are scheduled to take place in the next 10 years: 2022 in Qatar, 2025 in the United States, and 2026 in the USA, Canada, and Mexico.
• 216 delegates were present at the FIFA Congress.

Sources:

• Infantino, G. (2025, May 15). Twitter Post. Retrieved from
• UEFA (2025). UEFA Statement. Retrieved from