The annual FIFA Congress held in Luque, Paraguay, on Thursday took a dramatic turn after several European delegates staged a walkout in protest of FIFA President Gianni Infantino’s delayed appearance.
Infantino, who had just concluded high-profile meetings in Saudi Arabia and Qatar alongside United States President, Donald Trump, arrived more than two hours late to the gathering, prompting significant disruption.
The unexpected delay saw UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin and a number of other European football association representatives leave the session early after Infantino paused the event shortly after it began.
UEFA later released a scathing statement, criticizing the FIFA chief for what they perceived as prioritizing political dealings over football governance.
“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,” UEFA stated.
“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.
“We are all in post to serve football; from the streets to the podium, and UEFA members of the FIFA Council felt the need on this occasion to make a point that the game comes first and to leave as originally scheduled.”
Among those expressing disapproval was Norwegian Football Federation President Lise Klaveness, who labeled Infantino’s conduct as “disappointing and concerning” in a message shared with the press.
In response, Infantino offered an apology to the assembly for his tardiness, citing flight complications and defending his attendance at meetings in the Gulf as being in the best interest of FIFA.
“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 told the Congress, emphasizing the significance of Saudi Arabia and Qatar, hosts of the 2034 and 2022 World Cups respectively.
Infantino had also recently visited the White House and accompanied Trump on his diplomatic tour through the Middle East. With the U.S. set to play a pivotal role in upcoming FIFA events, including hosting the revamped Club World Cup and co-hosting the 2026 World Cup with Mexico and Canada, the FIFA president has maintained his travels are vital to football’s global future.
Despite mounting questions, FIFA Secretary General Mattias Grafstrom refrained from delving into the issue.
“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,” Grafstrom remarked.
No significant resolutions emerged from Thursday’s session, but CONMEBOL President Alejandro Dominguez used the platform to speak on the evolving plans for the 2030 World Cup, which coincides with the tournament’s centennial edition.
Pushing for a more inclusive event, Dominguez reiterated his view that expanding the competition to 64 teams, a move that would grant more hosting slots to Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay, is in line with the spirit of the game.
“A World Cup is the most popular celebration on planet Earth, and no one should be left out of that celebration,” he said, while avoiding direct mention of his controversial expansion proposal.
Dominguez’s idea, which contrasts with the current 48-team format, has been met with resistance from multiple football confederations, including those from Europe, Asia, and the Americas.
Still, he urged stakeholders to keep an open mind.
“I’m not inviting you to change your position, but rather to reflect together on creating something worthy of history,” he added.
