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UEFA chief launches scathing critique of FIFA's Infantino

European football's governing body has rejected FIFA's controversial plan to privatise commercial rights, with UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin delivering a pointed rebuke of the FIFA chief's leadership.

LSN Singapore · 29 September 2026

UEFA chief launches scathing critique of FIFA's Infantino

UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin has delivered a stinging attack on FIFA President Gianni Infantino, using pointed language to denounce the governing body's failed attempt to sell a stake in its commercial rights to private investors. Speaking in Copenhagen on Tuesday, Ceferin suggested the plan lacked credibility, declaring that "the emperor is naked" in reference to the well-known parable about acknowledging uncomfortable truths. The FIFA initiative, aimed at raising capital through privatisation of commercial operations, has encountered significant resistance from continental federations, particularly from Europe's football authorities. Ceferin's remarks underscore deepening divisions within world football's governance structure, as regional bodies push back against FIFA's strategic direction under Infantino's leadership. The dispute highlights broader tensions over how international football should be administered and funded, with European stakeholders increasingly vocal in challenging FIFA's proposed commercialisation strategies.