Ceferin-Al Khelaïfi summit called as football turns against FIFA

Aleksander Ceferin, UEFA president, and Nasser Al-Khelaifi, chairman of the EFC, are due to meet in Salzburg amid mounting tensions between UEFA, the EFC and FIFA, with the focus increasingly falling on Gianni Infantino. According to TalkSport, one issue in the background is the possibility of European clubs withdrawing from the 2029 Club World Cup, echoing UEFA’s stance on the national-team World Cup. There is even speculation about a rival tournament being organised outside FIFA’s control.

According to information obtained by AS, there is currently no agreement between the EFC and FIFA over the staging of the 2029 Club World Cup, so it would be premature to describe the situation as a boycott. What is true is that, a few days ago, the EFC, which represents around 850 of Europe’s leading clubs, unanimously backed UEFA’s broader position against FIFA. AS has also learned that many clubs have sought guidance from the EFC because FIFA has yet to make the direct and solidarity payments linked to the 2025 edition of the competition.

What is clear is that the balance of power in world football remains uncertain after Infantino’s controversial attempt to sell 20% of the commercial rights to the World Cup and other FIFA tournaments to investment funds reportedly linked to Donald Trump. UEFA emerged as the leading opponent of the proposal and, with support from CONCACAF and the AFC, ultimately forced Infantino to retreat.

UEFA is now working to ensure that this episode, together with a series of earlier controversies, damages Infantino’s prospects of reelection on 18 March in Rabat. The first signs of resistance have already appeared. Five UEFA member associations, Romania, Finland, Wales, Serbia and England, have confirmed that they will not support him, while Germany had previously signalled its opposition and Norway remains firmly against the current FIFA president. Losing the backing of European clubs, not just national associations, would represent another significant setback for Infantino. That is why the Salzburg meeting between the leaders of UEFA and the EFC is being viewed as particularly important.

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