Gianni Infantino Receives Mexico Backing Despite CONCACAF Criticism: 'For The Benefit Of...'

Published 7 August 2026 · sports

News sports football Gianni Infantino Receives Mexico Backing Despite CONCACAF Criticism: 'For The Benefit Of...' Gianni Infantino Receives Mexico Backing Despite CONCACAF Criticism: 'For The

News sports football Gianni Infantino Receives Mexico Backing Despite CONCACAF Criticism: 'For The Benefit Of...' Gianni Infantino Receives Mexico Backing Despite CONCACAF Criticism: 'For The Benefit Of...' Published By, Last Updated: August 07, 2026, 18:48 IST Mexico Football Federation backs Gianni Infantino's FIFA presidency despite global backlash over selling FIFA World Cup stakes. Rapid Read Gianni Infantino attends a Women's AFCON 2026 football game between Malawi and Zambia (Picture credit: AP) The Mexico Football Federation has backed Gianni Infantino’s FIFA presidency, even as he faces massive backlash and opposition from most football associations across the globe, especially after his recent act of trying to sell stakes in the FIFA World Cup to private entities.

CONCACAF, the governing body for football in North and Central America and the Caribbean, had called for a ‘comprehensive reckoning’ of Infantino’s presidency. The FMF was joined by the Argentine Football Association in throwing its support behind the FIFA president. This came after UEFA reiterated its threat to boycott the FIFA World Cup, with the European body issuing a statement over the weekend saying that it had lost confidence in Infantino’s leadership. FIFA World Cup co-hosts Mexico, meanwhile, have thrown their support behind the president. In a statement, the FMF said that it ‘aligns itself with the call issued by President Infantino … to collectively continue developing football for the benefit of the 211 member associations’.

The statement ended with the FMF backing Infantino’s leadership and his efforts to further football’s growth through institutional strengthening. Meanwhile, FIFA had planned to sell stakes in a new entity, FIFA Forward Enterprise, which was being created to oversee the organisation’s major tournaments and events. FIFA was looking to sell a 20% stake in FFE to an investor group led by Thrive Eternal, a US investment fund founded by Joshua Kushner, the brother of US President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, for $4.2 billion. CONMEBOL, South America’s football governing body, expressed its ‘concern’ over the situation in a statement on Thursday, citing the lack of consultation. But it stressed the need to ‘preserve the unity of the football family’ ahead of FIFA’s elections in March.

CONMEBOL member association the AFA acknowledged the ‘uncertainty’ created by the proposals but lauded the ‘profound transformation’ brought to FIFA under Infantino’s leadership. News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit First Published: August 07, 2026, 18:46 IST Disclaimer: Comments reflect users’ views, not News18’s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments...