European football delegates staged a dramatic walkout at FIFA’s Congress in Paraguay on Thursday, expressing anger over FIFA President Gianni Infantino’s late arrival, which delayed the session by over two hours.
The delay followed Infantino’s meetings in Saudi Arabia and Qatar, where he accompanied U.S. President Donald Trump.
Infantino’s belated appearance at the annual congress in Luque, near Asuncion, prompted UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin and other European officials to cut short their attendance after Infantino abruptly called a recess.
UEFA issued a strongly worded statement condemning the disruption, accusing Infantino of prioritizing “private political interests” over the global football agenda.
“The FIFA congress is one of the most important meetings in world football, where all the 211 nations in the world’s game gather to discuss issues that affect the sport right across the world,” the statement read.
“To have the timetable changed at the last minute for what appears to be simply to accommodate private political interests, does the game no service and appears to put its interests second.”
UEFA council members emphasized that their presence at FIFA is to serve the sport at all levels, stating their decision to leave as scheduled was a statement that “the game comes first.”
Norwegian Football Federation president Lise Klaveness also voiced concern, calling the situation “disappointing and concerning” in a statement distributed to journalists.
Infantino, in a brief address before the walkout, apologized and attributed the delay to flight complications. He defended his Gulf visit, citing responsibilities to both the organization and member nations.
“As FIFA president, my responsibility is to make decisions in the best interests of the organization (…) I felt I had to be there to represent football and all of you,” he said.
The visit was tied to meetings with Trump and officials in Qatar and Saudi Arabia—hosts of the 2022 and 2034 World Cups. The United States is set to host multiple high-profile FIFA events in the coming years, including the 2025 Club World Cup and the 2026 World Cup alongside Canada and Mexico, with the Women’s World Cup scheduled for 2031.
FIFA Secretary General Mattias Grafstrom declined to expand on the controversy, saying, “I have no comment on that; he explained the reasons why it was delayed. He had important matters to discuss. We had a great Congress.”
No significant decisions were made during Thursday’s session, which ended without major resolutions.
South American football chief Alejandro Dominguez used the occasion to discuss the 2030 World Cup preparations. While stopping short of confirming it, Dominguez reiterated his support for expanding the tournament from 48 to 64 teams.
“A World Cup is the most popular celebration on planet Earth, and no one should be left out of that celebration,” he said.
Dominguez’s expansion idea would allocate more matches to Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay, though the tournament’s core is already planned for Spain, Portugal, and Morocco. His proposal has faced resistance from key football regions including Europe, Asia, North America, Central America, and the Caribbean.
“I’m not inviting you to change your position, but rather to reflect together on creating something worthy of history,” Dominguez added.
What you should know
Gianni Infantino’s late arrival at FIFA Congress—following high-profile Gulf meetings with Donald Trump—sparked a sharp backlash from UEFA and exposed growing tensions over the governance and political direction of world football.
The incident has reignited debate over leadership priorities, transparency, and global unity in the sport’s top decision-making body.
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