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21 July 2026

Former FIFA president Sepp Blatter has urged the football community to remove Gianni Infantino from his position, claiming that the recent World Cup “lost its credibility” because of Infantino’s actions.

Blatter, whose own tenure as FIFA chief was marred by corruption allegations, stressed that “politics must not be allowed to overshadow the game.” His comment appeared to refer to Infantino’s close relationship with US President Donald Trump, which reportedly influenced the controversial reversal of USA striker Folarin Balogun’s red card suspension from the match against Bosnia.

According to reports, Trump personally called Infantino to discuss Balogun’s sending-off, and FIFA subsequently made the unprecedented decision to suspend the ban for one year. This allowed Balogun to feature in the USA’s round-of-16 clash against Belgium, which ended in a 4-1 defeat for the Americans.

Reflecting on the tournament, which concluded on Sunday evening with Spain defeating Argentina 1-0 after extra time in a heated final, Blatter expressed disappointment.

“The longest World Cup has come to an end – with the right champions,” Blatter wrote on social media. “But on the road to the final whistle, the tournament had lost its credibility. Politics must not be allowed to overshadow the game. Now it is up to the fans, players, and national associations to reclaim football and bring it back to its roots under new leadership.”

He accompanied his post with several hashtags, including ‘FIFA half-time show’, ‘Donald Trump’, and ‘Gianni Infantino’.

Blatter was not alone in his criticism. LaLiga president Javier Tebas also called for Infantino’s resignation, particularly citing the Balogun affair.

“The suspension of the American player’s ban is an extremely serious issue,” Tebas said in an interview with Italian publication La Gazzetta dello Sport. “They were fortunate that Belgium eliminated the US; otherwise, this could have turned into a scandal that might have cost Infantino his position. Since Belgium won, they managed to bury the matter. But these incidents are merely the tip of the iceberg.”

Tebas went further, accusing FIFA of “destroying the football industry” by expanding international competitions at the expense of domestic leagues and clubs.

When asked whether Infantino should step down, Tebas replied, “In my opinion, yes, I think his time is up.”

Infantino had announced in April that he intended to seek re-election for a fourth term as FIFA president, with the vote for the 2027–2031 cycle set to take place in Morocco on 18 March next year. While he may run unopposed, Tebas suggested that even if another contender emerges, their chances of success are slim.

“He shouldn’t stay, but under the current circumstances, he won’t leave,” Tebas added. “There’s no opposition candidate; no one wants to run just to lose. This system is flawed from the foundation. I’ve heard many people criticising Infantino and disagreeing with his actions. They speak out, but they don’t act.”

Blatter and Tebas are not the only high-profile figures voicing discontent. UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin also chose not to attend the World Cup final, amid ongoing tensions between UEFA and FIFA over disciplinary procedures, referee management, and match operations.