CAF president and FIFA vice president Patrice Motsepe has urged those seeking to remove Gianni Infantino as FIFA president to follow the organisation’s electoral process, saying the 211 FIFA member associations should ultimately decide his fate.
Motsepe’s comments come as pressure mounts on Infantino following the collapse of a controversial proposal to establish FIFA Forward Enterprise, a commercial vehicle that would have involved private investment in FIFA’s competitions.
The proposal triggered a major governance dispute within world football. UEFA, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and CONCACAF have criticised the way the plan was handled and called for changes in FIFA leadership.
Infantino subsequently withdrew the proposal, but the controversy has continued to threaten his position ahead of the next FIFA presidential election in March 2027.
Motsepe calls for an election
Motsepe, who is one of FIFA’s vice presidents, said those who have lost confidence in Infantino should challenge him through the established electoral process.
“If anybody has got any problem against anybody, whether it’s Gianni, whether it is anybody else, follow the process, follow the FIFA process, simple as that,” Motsepe said.
“If you want to take him out, go for elections; let the 211 member associations decide.”
He warned against attempts to force Infantino out before the election, arguing that FIFA’s member associations should be allowed to exercise their voting rights.
“You’ve got to be very careful. There are elections taking place next year,” Motsepe said. “Shouldn’t we allow that process to continue? And let the 211 members decide.”
Growing divisions over Infantino
Motsepe’s intervention comes as football’s governing bodies become increasingly divided over Infantino’s leadership.
UEFA, AFC and CONCACAF — representing 136 of FIFA’s 211 member associations — have criticised the abandoned commercial proposal and called for an independent review.
The dispute has also resulted in several national associations reconsidering their support for Infantino’s bid for another term.
New Zealand, for example, recently withdrew its support for his re-election, while the Football Association of Ireland has also withdrawn its previous backing.
However, Infantino continues to retain significant support, particularly from African and South American football authorities. Motsepe has previously defended the FIFA president’s contribution to African football and confirmed that Infantino continues to enjoy support on the continent.
Motsepe meets UEFA president
Motsepe’s comments followed his meeting with UEFA president Aleksander Čeferin in Salzburg, where the two discussed the escalating dispute surrounding FIFA’s leadership.
Čeferin has been among the most prominent figures calling for change at FIFA, with UEFA exploring ways of putting pressure on Infantino ahead of next year’s election.
For Motsepe, however, the solution is clear: allow FIFA’s established democratic process to determine who leads world football.
With the March 2027 FIFA presidential election approaching, the battle over Infantino’s future is likely to intensify in the coming months.
