UEFA come up with new plan to oust Gianni Infantino as fresh FIFA boycott talks proposed

UEFA will hold talks in the coming days about boycotting the 2029 FIFA Club World Cup - with president Aleksander Ceferin said to be keen on doing so.

UEFA threatened to boycott the men's and women's World Cups last week if FIFA president Gianni Infantino pushed ahead with plans to sell off minority stakes in the World Cup through a private investment scheme.

Infantino's proposal aimed to raise over $20 billion through private investment via a brand-new company, FIFA Forward Enterprise.

US-based Thrive Capital were expected to lead the proposed investor group. Thrive Capital is owned by Joshua Kushner, the younger brother of Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner, which created even more controversy around the scheme.

After mass opposition from across the footballing landscape, and with continental governing bodies refusing to support the proposal, FIFA announced on Saturday that the plans had been scrapped.

Infantino's future as FIFA president now appears to be under significant threat.

His senior advisor, Carlos Cordeiro, resigned from his role on Friday, describing the plans as a 'bad deal for the game' and claiming that he wasn't consulted.

READ MORE: Gianni Infantino's right-hand man quits FIFA in explosive statement responding to World Cup plans

FIFA chief operating officer Kevin Lamour said he felt 'deceived' by Infantino.

The Swiss executive is planning to run for a fourth term as FIFA president in 2027, and The Guardian reported earlier this month that 'more than 200' out of the 211 member associations had endorsed him ahead of the election.

But the situation has now changed, with several associations publicly withdrawing their support for Infantino on Monday.

The Wales and Sweden FAs have both done so, and the English FA are expected to withdraw their letter of support in the coming days.

READ MORE: Gianni Infantino's FIFA future in doubt as first nations withdraw re-election support

It now appears inevitable that Infantino will be faced by at least one serious challenger to his position when the elections take place at the 77th FIFA Congress in Rabat, Morocco in March.

Now, according to talkSPORT, UEFA president Ceferin is planning to weaken Infantino's position further by pushing for a boycott of the 2029 Club World Cup.

The expanded men's Club World Cup, which was suggested by Infantino back in 2019, debuted for the first time in 2025, with 12 clubs out of the 32 from UEFA taking part. The inaugural women's Club World Cup, set to be contested by 19 clubs, is scheduled for January 2028.

It is reported that Ceferin will hold 'face-to-face talks' with European Football Clubs (EFC) chairman Nasser Al-Khelaifi, who is also the president of PSG, at the French side's UEFA Super Cup final against Aston Villa on August 12. A Club World Cup boycott will be on the agenda.

Al-Khelaifi was named as chairman of the EFC in 2021 and played a key role in seeing off the threat of the proposed Super League.

He was appointed to the role after its incumbent Andrea Agnelli, who was chairman of Juventus, resigned after his club signalled their intentions to join the Super League.

It is said that the Club World Cup, in any case, 'would not gain EFC support' unless 'key foundational elements' are finalised, such as the funding structure and location.

But Ceferin wants the EFC to state they will not have any involvement in the competition while Infantino remains in charge of FIFA.

Who could challenge Infantino for the FIFA presidency?

The name that appears to be emerging as the biggest contender to Infantino's position is CONCACAF president Victor Montagliani.

A Canadian businessman who is the former head of Canada Soccer, the 60-year-old played a key role in organising the newly-expanded 48-team World Cup this summer.

He is reportedly 'making moves' to challenge Infantino and, according to The Telegraph, would be seen as a 'unity figure' by some, while the fact that the last FIFA president not previously involved with UEFA was the Brazilian Joao Havelange, who stood down in 1998, could also work in his favour.

Victor Montagliani embraces Lionel Messi after the 2026 World Cup final (Image: Getty)

The rest, as it stands, is largely made up of speculation.

It is said that Al-Khelaifi would receive backing from member associations if he ran for the FIFA presidency but there appear to be doubts over whether he actually wants to, while the same can be said for Ceferin.

AFC president Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa has also emerged as an option, with his stint at the AFC helm ending in 2027 as well.

And talkSPORT claimed last week that Dariusz Mioduski, the owner of Polish giants Legia Warsaw, had also been discussed by UEFA member associations as a surprise candidate.