Gianni Infantino’s ambitions for a fourth term as FIFA president in 2027 have hit significant resistance as key European figures open a concerted push for new leadership at global football’s governing body. The opposition has solidified following a controversial $20 billion proposal to privatize parts of FIFA and sell World Cup rights, a move that has drawn strong pushback across the continent. Greek Football Association (EPO) president Makis Gagatsis has formally withdrawn his federation’s support, signaling a growing rift between European administrators and the current FIFA executive team.
Explaining the decision to break ranks with the incumbent FIFA president, Gagatsis highlighted a series of organizational decisions and events surrounding the World Cup that failed to align with public sentiment and administrative expectations. The Greek chief made it clear that the EPO could no longer back Infantino’s continued tenure after evaluating recent executive initiatives. The proposal to monetize core global assets proved to be the decisive breaking point, triggering an official posture of dissent from Greece against Infantino’s prospective candidacy.
“The Greek FA has taken a clear position against a candidacy of Gianni Infantino,” Gagatsis stated when detailing the decision. He noted that unacceptable developments at the World Cup combined with commercial schemes forced the federation’s hand. “We saw things happen at the World Cup that are not acceptable to football public opinion,” Gagatsis emphasized, adding that the plans to sell World Cup rights were firmly rejected by his organization. “Then came a programme to sell World Cup rights and we are clearly against it, so we withdrew our support of the FIFA president.”
The stance taken by Gagatsis reflects wider dissatisfaction across European football, where influential figures are actively calling for reform. Former Germany team director Oliver Bierhoff, who served 18 years in his national role, has also publicly called for new leadership at the helm of FIFA. With UEFA and other continental confederations actively seeking alternative direction at the administrative peak, the momentum behind a leadership challenge is steadily building. The shared resistance from both federation heads and experienced football administrators presents one of the most direct challenges to Infantino’s administration to date.
Despite the escalating friction and losing the support of key European member associations, Infantino remains set to seek a fourth term in 2027. His path to securing another mandate, however, has grown vastly more complex as confederations mobilize around the call for institutional change. As discussions surrounding the commercial direction of the World Cup and global governance intensify, the emerging alliance against Infantino’s platform marks a pivotal juncture in the buildup to the 2027 FIFA presidential election.
