European Leagues Chief: 'Infantino Has No Future at FIFA'

Claudius Schaefer, president of European Leagues — a body representing 53 professional men's and women's football leagues — said in an interview with The Athletic published Wednesday that Gianni Infantino cannot continue leading FIFA. 'The influence of the president has grown from year to year' and 'major decisions are taken without meaningful consultation,' Schaefer said, adding institutional reform of the presidency's powers matters more than simply replacing Infantino with someone else. He pointed to two specific episodes as evidence of governance breakdown: FIFA's inaugural Peace Prize awarded to President Trump in December without proper consultation, and the overturning of USMNT forward Folarin Balogun's suspension during the World Cup after Trump personally intervened — which Schaefer called 'a real scandal' that let political interference undermine sporting integrity. Schaefer's comments add a fifth major voice — alongside UEFA, the AFC, CONCACAF, and the six Nordic federations — to the bloc pressuring Infantino as he seeks a fourth term at the March 18, 2027 election in Rabat.