Gianni Infantino is facing serious fresh allegations after leaked documents suggested he was involved in talks to bring the European Super League under FIFA’s umbrella. Although the wider football community opposed the breakaway project in 2021, reports indicate the FIFA president explored the possibility of presenting the competition as the 'FIFA Super League'.
The 'FIFA Super League' branding
Revelations from leaked documents have indicated that Infantino and FIFA were more deeply involved in the early Super League discussions. According to leaked papers, as reported by The Guardian, world football’s governing body had prepared a 'term sheet' for the competition as far back as October 2020. That document set out a plan under which the breakaway competition would be rebranded as the 'FIFA Super League'.
The proposed arrangement included a 12-year partnership that would have resulted in FIFA taking control of the league’s full commercial operation. Most controversially, the documents suggest Infantino wanted a 'golden share' in the breakaway entity. That would have handed the FIFA president extraordinary personal and institutional influence over the biggest clubs in world football, including the Premier League’s 'Big Six', while potentially tying the success of the new competition to the expansion of the FIFA Club World Cup.
Public condemnation vs private plotting
These disclosures are sharply at odds with the public position Infantino adopted when the Super League was officially launched and then collapsed in April 2021. At that time, the Swiss administrator stood before the 45th Ordinary UEFA Congress and said FIFA could only 'strongly disapprove' of a project that was a 'breakaway from the current institutions'.
Infantino expressed his opposition once it became clear that the project had sparked a historic backlash from fans, players and governments. The original plan reportedly involved keeping FIFA’s member federations entirely unaware, a method similar to the one used during the more recent failed effort to sell stakes in the World Cup to private equity investors.
Pressure mounts on Infantino's leadership
The timing of these leaks is especially damaging for Infantino, who is already battling to retain his hold on power. After a disastrous attempt to privatise parts of the World Cup, which triggered a united rebellion from European nations, the president was forced to back down. UEFA and its allies are believed to be working behind the scenes to persuade member associations to withdraw their backing for Infantino before the next FIFA presidential election in March.
The fight for FIFA's future integrity
Despite the current storm, FIFA continues to insist it has done nothing wrong, with a spokesperson pointing to Infantino’s 2021 speeches as the final word on the issue. A recent joint letter from Infantino and general secretary Mattias Grafstrom said the governing body 'will no longer tolerate any attacks on its integrity or good governance'.
However, the shadow of FIFA’s alleged role in the failed breakaway project remains a major point of discussion. The governing body must now navigate a period of intense public scepticism as well as doubts among its own members.
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