Gianni Infantino instructed to resign in overwhelming punishment verdict | Football | Sport

Gianni Infantino has been told to give up the gig and resign as FIFA president with immediate effect. The Swiss-Italian came under heavy scrutiny in the build-up and during the 2026 World Cup, but it’s since the tournament finished that things have really started to heat up.

It began when Infantino revealed plans to sell off stakes in FIFA competitions, sparking widespread backlash from across the football world. UEFA nations voted on a boycott of all FIFA competitions until the issue was resolved, while other confederations joined in with the condemnation.

While FIFA have since performed a U-turn and apologised for misjudging the decision, some nations have continued to push for change at the top of FIFA’s food chain. The English FA are among those who have withdrawn their support for Infantino ahead of the 2027 FIFA presidential election.

There have also been reports that Infantino and FIFA had considered joining forces with the breakaway European Super League back in 2021, while his cosying up to Donald Trump before and during the 2026 World Cup came under question. There were accusations of political interference when Trump claimed he rang Infantino asking for Folarin Balogun’s red card to be rescinded before the USMNT striker was allowed to play in their round-of-16 tie against Belgium.

And it would appear that everyday football fans have had enough of Infantino and his sleaziness, with Express Sport readers voting overwhelmingly in favour of ousting the FIFA president. In a poll conducted by Express Sport, a gobsmacking 96 per cent said he should resign on the spot.

It leaves just four per cent of those who took part in the vote who still back Infantino to represent the views and interests of football fans properly. The bad news for those who don’t have faith in Infantino is that he doesn’t plan on going anywhere.

Despite accepting he made a mistake, the FIFA president has urged everyone to move on from the saga. A statement read: “Mistakes made were acknowledged. It was agreed that it was not the intention for the Fifa council and Fifa member associations to feel excluded from the process and that the process should have been handled differently. It was further acknowledged that errors were also made after the proposal was leaked to media.

“In a separate letter to the Fifa council and Fifa member associations, an apology was made for these errors together with a commitment to ensure they do not happen again. A review will now be conducted, and a report will be presented to the Fifa council at its next scheduled meeting…

“There are always lessons to be learned, and Fifa will continue to improve its processes in light of this experience. In this instance, however, it is important to stress that, although mistakes were made, everything that was done was done in full compliance with the Fifa regulatory framework. Fifa will work closely with the relevant stakeholders to examine how it can further support the development of the game through the Fifa Forward programme for the benefit of Fifa’s 211 member associations, the confederations and the regional associations.”