UEFA criticizes FIFA President: Is Infantino choosing personal politics over football interests?

A recent incident in the football world has sparked serious debate — FIFA President Gianni Infantino’s personal political engagements have reportedly delayed official events, drawing strong criticism from UEFA. The European football body accuses Infantino of prioritizing personal political interests over the global interests of the sport.

Infantino met with Trump, FIFA Congress delayed

The next FIFA Congress was scheduled to take place on May 16 in Asunción, the capital of Paraguay. However, the event began three hours late. The reason? FIFA President Infantino failed to return in time from Qatar, where he held a meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump.

UEFA: “This doesn’t serve football, but personal politics”

The delay and Infantino’s political meetings triggered a sharp response from UEFA.

“The last-minute changes to the schedule seem to have been made to serve personal political interests. This does not serve the interests of football and places them in the background,” UEFA said in an official statement.

Infantino — Trump — Russia

This is not Infantino’s first meeting with Trump. Earlier, they reportedly discussed the suspension of Russia’s national team from international competitions. Notably, the U.S. is one of the three host nations of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, alongside Canada and Mexico.

Is football becoming a political pawn?

These developments raise serious questions about the boundary between politics and the governance of football. UEFA’s public criticism suggests growing concern about fairness and autonomy within global football leadership.

Zamin.uz will continue to report on behind-the-scenes developments and the impact of politics on world football. What’s your take on Infantino’s behavior? Should there be room for personal politics in football leadership?

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