What Is The #InfantinoOut Campaign And Why Are Fans Calling For The FIFA President To Resign?

Football supporters’ groups from across the world have launched a petition demanding that Gianni Infantino step down as FIFA president, escalating the backlash against the governing body’s leadership and its handling of the 2026 World Cup.

The campaign, launched on Thursday under the hashtag #InfantinoOut, follows Infantino’s controversial proposal to sell a share of FIFA’s future World Cup revenues to private investors. The plan for a commercial spinoff was abandoned after drawing widespread criticism.

The petition also calls for sweeping reforms at FIFA, arguing that the organisation needs to be rebuilt to prevent similar decisions from being made without sufficient accountability.

The campaign has brought together Football Supporters Europe, Football Supporters Africa and the Independent Supporters Council in North America, along with around 40 national supporters’ organisations from different parts of the world.

The groups accused Infantino of undermining confidence in FIFA through what they described as a concentration of power, a lack of transparency and inadequate accountability.

“Gianni Infantino has demonstrated a profound failure of leadership, incompatible with democratic governance,” the petition said, calling on him to resign to protect FIFA’s credibility and the future of football.

What Is #InfantinoOut?

#InfantinoOut is a global supporters’ campaign calling for Gianni Infantino to step down as FIFA president. Launched by football fan organisations from across continents, the petition accuses Infantino of poor leadership, a lack of transparency and excessive concentration of power within FIFA.

The campaign also demands structural reforms to make the governing body more accountable to football supporters and its member associations.

Growing Opposition To Infantino

The latest campaign adds to mounting criticism of Infantino from within football's governing structures. UEFA has publicly expressed a lack of confidence in the FIFA president, while senior figures within CONCACAF and the Asian Football Confederation have also criticised his leadership.

Infantino, however, continues to have support among several FIFA member associations. Morocco, one of the hosts of the 2030 World Cup, is among those backing him, as are Qatar and Lebanon. Infantino lived in Qatar before the country hosted the 2022 World Cup, while Lebanon granted him citizenship earlier this year.

Saudi Arabia, which will host the 2034 World Cup, has not publicly endorsed Infantino despite his close relationship with the kingdom.

The fan groups have also pointed to several previous controversies involving FIFA under Infantino. These include his past support for a proposed European Super League, his push for a biennial World Cup and growing concerns over ticket prices for the 2026 tournament.

The 'Expensive' FIFA World Cup

Ticket pricing has become another major source of frustration among supporters ahead of the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

FIFA set record prices for the expanded 48-team tournament, which will feature 104 matches. Supporters' organisations have criticised the governing body for failing to consult them before announcing the pricing structure.

FIFA later reduced some ticket prices to $60 for the most loyal supporters of each participating team, but the initial pricing decision has continued to fuel criticism.

Football Supporters Europe, which acts as the main liaison between supporters and UEFA, has previously been involved in discussions over ticket pricing for European Championship matches and major club competitions, including the Champions League.