The Club World Cup deals the knockout blow to Infantino

Aleksander Ceferin, president of European football’s governing body (UEFA), and Nasser Al-Khelaifi, chairman of the European Club Association, are holding an anticipated meeting in the city of Salzburg. Tension is rising between their organisations and world football’s governing body (FIFA), specifically against its president Gianni Infantino.

According to the “talkSPORT” network, the root of that tension lies in the possibility of the European clubs withdrawing from the 2029 Club World Cup, following UEFA’s decision regarding the national teams in relation to the World Cup.

Spanish newspaper “AS” reported that there is as yet no agreement between the European Club Association and FIFA to stage the 2029 Club World Cup, which makes talk of boycotting the tournament inaccurate for now.

What is certain, the paper noted, is that a few days ago the European Club Association showed complete unanimity in backing UEFA’s general anti-FIFA position. The Association represents 850 clubs among the most important in European football.

The same newspaper also learned that many clubs are conducting intensive consultations with the Association, because FIFA has not yet made the direct payments relating to the 2025 edition of the Club World Cup.

Upheaval in the global game rumbles on within an open war. It follows the ill-considered step Gianni Infantino took in selling 20% of the commercial rights to the World Cup and other FIFA tournaments to investment funds linked to Donald Trump.

Europe, led by UEFA, emerged as the principal opponent of that move. Working with CONCACAF and the Asian Football Confederation, they ultimately forced Infantino to back down.

UEFA now want this blunder, alongside his previous mistakes, to cost the FIFA president his re-election, scheduled for 18 March in the city of Rabat.

Moves to strip votes away from him have already begun. Five member associations, namely Romania, Finland, Wales, Serbia and England, have confirmed they will not vote for him. Others announced as much earlier, such as Germany, and it is now certain that countries such as Norway will stand against the current president.

Losing the support of the European clubs, alongside the national teams, deals Infantino another heavy blow. That makes the anticipated meeting between the senior officials of UEFA and the European Club Association extremely decisive.