A global coalition of supporter organisations has launched the #InfantinOUT campaign and a petition calling for FIFA President Gianni Infantino to resign. Football Supporters Europe (FSE) is among the organisations behind the initiative, but its message goes beyond one individual: it is also demanding fundamental reform of the way world football is governed.
The immediate backdrop is the crisis surrounding FIFA Forward Enterprise, a proposal that would have brought private investors into commercial rights linked to the World Cup and other FIFA competitions. The plan was abandoned at the end of July 2026 after strong opposition, but it raised a wider question: how transparent is decision-making at FIFA, who scrutinises it, and where is the supporter voice in that system?
What is the global supporter coalition asking for?
In its statement of 20 August, FSE says supporter organisations from around the world are not simply seeking a change of FIFA president. Their central concern is the concentration of power and the lack of accountability around decisions capable of reshaping world football.
The reform demands include greater transparency around major decisions, meaningful consultation with confederations, associations, leagues, clubs, players and supporters, formal supporter involvement in decision-making, stronger checks on executive power and more independent oversight.
The coalition also argues that revenues generated by football should remain within the football ecosystem and serve the game’s development rather than being structured primarily around the expectations of outside investors.
Why would changing the president not be enough?
Replacing one person does not solve a governance problem if the same institutional structure allows the next president to exercise power in the same way. That is why the second half of the campaign — reforming FIFA — is more important than it may initially appear.
In a healthy governance model, the crucial question is not only who leads the organisation, but whether there are clear rules, published information, independent controls and an obligation to consult those affected by major decisions.
For supporters, that matters when governing bodies decide ticketing policies, competition formats, match locations, commercial rights or the future structure of the World Cup.
What is FIFA’s side of the argument?
During the debate over FIFA Forward Enterprise, Infantino described the plan as a proposal within a consultation process rather than a binding decision. He also argued that FIFA would retain control of football governance and that supporters would remain central to the game.
The proposal was nevertheless withdrawn on 31 July after strong opposition from parts of the international football community.
The controversy has continued. In early September, FIFA confirmed that Infantino still intends to seek another term in the March 2027 election, while calls for greater transparency and scrutiny of how the abandoned project was developed remain unresolved.
Why is this a supporters’ rights issue?
The election of a FIFA president can feel remote from the supporter going to a stadium on a Saturday. But decisions made at the top of world football shape ticket prices, tournament formats, the number of matches, commercial policies and the way football revenues are distributed.
If supporters live with the consequences of those decisions, it is reasonable to expect an institutional channel through which they are heard before those decisions become faits accomplis.
COLORS view
For COLORS, the most important part of this story is the demand for systemic reform. Focusing everything on Infantino may attract attention, but the long-term question is more fundamental: who holds the people who govern football to account?
Supporters do not need to run FIFA in order to have a legitimate claim to transparency, consultation and accountability. But if the biggest decisions about the game are repeatedly made without them, the phrase “football belongs to the supporters” becomes little more than a slogan.
Source: Football Supporters Europe, “ADD YOUR VOICE: A GLOBAL COALITION OF FOOTBALL SUPPORTERS LAUNCHES A WORLDWIDE PETITION CALLING FOR GIANNI INFANTINO TO RESIGN AND FOR FUNDAMENTAL FIFA REFORM”, 20 August 2026. Additional factual verification: Reuters, July–September 2026.
Photo/visual: Football Supporters Europe (FSE).