Ceferin says Infantino's World Cup plan was 'worse than Super League'

Uefa president Aleksander Ceferin has launched a scathing attack on Gianni Infantino after the collapse of his scheme to sell private stakes in the World Cup. Ceferin argues the project, known as Fifa Forward Enterprise, was even more damaging than the failed Super League breakaway, and has put Infantino on notice that a rival candidate will emerge if he seeks re-election as Fifa president next March.

• Ceferin equates the shelved World Cup investment scheme with an attempt to 'sell off' football itself.
• Uefa, alongside Concacaf and the Asian Football Confederation, is pushing for Infantino to step down.
• The Slovenian rules himself out of ever running for the Fifa presidency.
• Nordic football associations have issued a joint statement demanding guarantees and an independent review.
• Ceferin criticises Infantino's closeness to Donald Trump following the Folarin Balogun red-card controversy.

What was the Fifa Forward Enterprise plan

The scheme, driven from the top of Fifa, would have opened the door to private investors funding competitions such as the World Cup, triggering widespread opposition across the game. Facing pressure from confederations, member associations and supporters alike, Fifa shelved the plan at the start of August. Ceferin argues it was more serious than the Super League project, since that breakaway sought to create a closed competition among elite clubs, whereas this scheme, in his words, effectively put football itself up for sale.

"It's hard to imagine what kind of people would sell the sport that belongs to everyone," Ceferin said of Infantino's plan.

Uefa hardens its stance against Infantino

Ceferin has led a unified Uefa position against the plan and is now openly campaigning for Infantino to leave office. That pressure extends beyond Europe, with both Concacaf and the Asian Football Confederation lending their support, two blocs that have traditionally aligned closely with Fifa's leadership. Uefa has also kept alive the threat of boycotting Fifa competitions while it negotiates with Concacaf over creating a combined Nations League tournament between the two confederations.

A possible challenger for Infantino in March

Ceferin believes Infantino's options are narrowing by the day. He suggested Infantino must either accept he has lost support, not just among voting members but across the wider football community, fans, players, former players and coaches, or press ahead with standing for re-election in Rabat and face a challenger yet to be named. Concacaf president Victor Montagliani has already been floated as a potential rival candidate should Infantino choose to run.

Ceferin rules out a Fifa presidency bid

Despite having plenty of backers within international football, Ceferin has firmly ruled out seeking the Fifa presidency himself, insisting his influence carries more weight precisely because he has no personal ambition for the role. The Slovenian, who has led Uefa since 2016, is expected to be re-elected unopposed to a fourth term in April, cementing his position as the leading counterweight to Infantino within world football's governing structures.

Trump ties and the Balogun controversy

Asked about Infantino's relationship with Donald Trump, forged around the recent World Cup, Ceferin warned that no politician offers genuine friendship once an ally becomes inconvenient. The issue resurfaced after Trump revealed he had personally phoned Infantino to request a review of a red card shown to United States forward Folarin Balogun, a suspension that was later overturned. Ceferin called the episode deeply shocking, stressing that football's rules become meaningless if they are not applied consistently to everyone.

Nordic federations add to the pressure on Fifa

Adding to Uefa's campaign, the six Nordic football associations have released a joint statement declaring they have lost confidence in Infantino and raising concerns over Fifa's governance and decision-making. They are demanding firm guarantees that Fifa will never again open its competitions to private ownership, alongside a full independent review of how the Fifa Forward Enterprise plan was developed. Norway had already become the first member association to publicly call for Infantino's resignation earlier in August.