Gianni Infantino's position as FIFA president has been called into question following his failed attempt to sell a stake in the World Cup's commercial rights. Claudius Schaefer, head of Europe's professional football leagues and chief executive of the Swiss Football League, stated on Sunday, August 2, 2026, that there could be "only one consequence" for Infantino after the plan sparked widespread protests from regional associations.

Schaefer, whose organisation represents 53 professional men's and women's football leagues, told the Swiss newspaper SonntagsZeitung that FIFA's key bodies were not involved in the deal. He said, "This is usually the consequence when someone in a company pushes such a business deal forward without anyone knowing about it."

Infantino announced on Friday that FIFA had scrapped the plan following the backlash. Regional confederations UEFA and CONCACAF expressed loss of confidence in his leadership on Saturday.

Schaefer criticized the proposal, suggesting FIFA's main goal was to maximise profits for third parties by increasing the number and size of competitions. He said, "It's solely about the financial advantages; everything else is completely ignored."

The European Leagues opposed the plan because it would add more matches to an already packed international calendar, negatively impacting national championships. Schaefer added, "Nobody knew about the plans, not even the FIFA Council, the governing body of FIFA."

In related sports news, Arsenal won against Girona in preseason, and the LA Dodgers acquired two-time Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal.

Sources