Several delegates at the annual FIFA Congress meeting chose to leave the event on Thursday in protest against President Gianni Infantino. His significant delay in arriving caused the meeting to begin hours behind schedule, as he was returning from a trip to the Middle East where he had spent time with former U.S. President Donald Trump.
The Congress, held this year in Asuncion, Paraguay, was initially set to commence at 9:30 a.m. local time. However, it was postponed until 12:30 p.m. due to Infantino`s travel arrangements. Reports indicated his private jet from Qatar was still airborne when the meeting was supposed to start, and his journey included a refueling stop in Nigeria.
Eight members of the FIFA council from UEFA, along with some other European delegates, did not return to the meeting after the delay. This group reportedly included UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin.
Infantino`s trip saw him in Qatar and Saudi Arabia alongside Trump. He was present during meetings between the former U.S. President and Qatar`s Emir Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani, as well as Saudi Arabia`s crown prince, Mohammed Bin Salman. Infantino has frequently interacted with Trump since his return to office, attending pre-inauguration events, the inauguration itself, and making multiple visits to the White House for discussions FIFA has characterized as official business related to upcoming tournaments, specifically the 2025 Club World Cup and the 2026 World Cup hosted by the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. Just recently, Infantino was also at the White House for a World Cup task force meeting.
President Infantino opted to travel to the Middle East despite previously scheduled commitments in Asuncion. These included the Congress meeting itself, which had originally been planned for Tuesday of that week. Infantino`s decision to delay the meeting by two days to join Trump meant he missed opportunities to engage with presidents and general secretaries from all FIFA member associations. He also missed a dinner hosted by Paraguayan state officials the previous evening.
Upon his eventual arrival in Asuncion, Infantino offered an apology for his tardiness but also defended his actions.
As president of FIFA, my responsibility is to make decisions in the interests of the organization. I decided to be the last two days in the Middle East knowing the 2034 World Cup will be in Saudi Arabia and the World Cup in 2022 was in Qatar. The ‘25 Club World Cup and ‘26 World Cup will be in the USA, Canada, and Mexico. Some important discussions took place in regard to the World Cup, and I felt that I needed to be there to represent football and all of you. We had an issue with our flight, which made this delay happen. Apologies. Sorry, and I am looking forward to spending time with you here.
However, Infantino`s explanation did not satisfy all attendees, leading to the walkout. Several European officials departed at 2 p.m. local time, adhering to their original travel plans. Lise Klaveness, the president of the Norwegian Football Federation, was notably critical of Infantino`s conduct.
The delayed arrival of the FIFA president at the 75th FIFA Congress is disappointing. The annual congress is the single most important body to ensure good governance of international football. The situation is concerning. [Two hundred and ten] member associations have traveled from all over the world to participate at this Congress here in Paraguay, expecting professional leadership and dialogue at the highest level.
The agenda for this year`s FIFA Congress included standard items such as reviewing FIFA`s annual report, conducting elections for key committees (including the disciplinary, ethics, appeal, and governance/audit/compliance committees), and discussing proposals submitted by member associations.
Dominic Ashworth