Mexico backs Infantino as FIFA faces backlash over scrapped deal

Mexico’s football association backed Gianni Infantino even after Concacaf said it had lost confidence in the FIFA president, deepening a split that now runs through the sport’s regional power blocs. Argentina’s football association also stood with Infantino, putting two of South America’s biggest federations on the same side as the FIFA president faced backlash over a scrapped plan to sell commercial rights tied to World Cup qualifying and other competitions.

The rupture follows Infantino’s abandoned proposal to privatize World Cup revenues through a proposed $10 billion capital raise. He had given FIFA member associations until Sept. 19 to sign on, a move that would have brought private investment into the World Cup for the first time and triggered fresh questions about transparency after the plan collapsed. UEFA and Concacaf said they had lost confidence in his leadership after the retreat, while Fifa was left facing one of the most serious internal challenges of Infantino’s presidency.

The alliances around him now map a clear political divide. Conmebol said its 10 member countries would back Infantino, and Caf confirmed unanimous support, giving the FIFA president firm public backing across South America and Africa even as Europe and much of North and Central America turned against him. Mexico’s decision to align with Infantino, despite Concacaf’s position, shows how fragile regional discipline has become when member associations see a chance to gain influence by breaking ranks.

For Mexico, the move places its federation closer to the camp that is still defending Infantino’s agenda, at a moment when FIFA governance is being tested by the fallout from the failed deal. Argentina’s backing adds another heavyweight voice to that bloc, strengthening Infantino’s claim that he still commands support outside Europe and Concacaf even as critics press for answers over the abandoned rights sale.

Infantino, elected in 2016 and promising to restore FIFA’s image, now faces a credibility test that cuts to the core of his mandate. The public split between federations, confederations and continental alliances suggests that the next FIFA battle will be fought not just over one failed commercial plan, but over who can still command a majority inside the game’s governing coalition.