Icarus Moment
Gianni Infantino has touched his own "Icarus moment". The FIFA President's plan to sell shares at the World Cup was revealed on Tuesday (July 28), but by Friday evening (July 31), it had completely collapsed.
UEFA in Europe threatened to boycott FIFA tournaments unless the plan was permanently cancelled. CONCACAF in North, Central America and the Caribbean also rejected the proposal. AFC in Asia condemned it. Even Infantino's senior advisor, Carlos Cordeiro, resigned in protest.
Faced with that wave of strong protests, FIFA initially announced that it would continue to promote the plan and put it to a vote, but less than 24 hours later, they had to withdraw. With such a tough stance and large-scale opposition, this plan was unsuccessful.
Whatever happened next or what the consequences were for Infantino, this incident will be remembered as a manifestation of arrogance - the time when the head of FIFA, who was used to being allowed to overstep the limits of power, finally "flew too close to the sun", as the Greek myth tells about the story of Icarus who burned his wings.
Among countless notable statements over 48 hours, one of the most important statements came from Bernd Neuendorf - President of the German Football Association (DFB) and a member of the FIFA Council, about the fact that he only knew Infantino's plan through the press.
The FIFA Council that Neuendorf participated in included 37 members, including Infantino, representing all 6 continental football federations. It is the highest governing body of world football. But there is no evidence that this council was once involved in the plan to establish FIFA Forward Enterprises (FFE) - an initiative that is said to have been in the idea stage for more than 1 year.
Abuse of power?
Even if FIFA tries to clarify with statements, it is no longer important. Because the most powerful figures in world football, including members of FIFA's highest committee, have been "sidelined" by a complex, controversial and divisive proposal just because they were not informed in advance. A surprising contempt.
Those in power often come with a big ego and no small political influence. In a video, Infantino appears tired, claiming that the plan has been misunderstood, with a somewhat superior tone, he says it is just an effort to resolve inequality in football. But if this move really stems from goodwill, then what's the point of keeping secrets? That only increases dissatisfaction with the international football community and sows suspicion.
The answer seems to lie in what the FIFA President's chair has been allowed to become. Therefore, all re-examination of this matter must be accompanied by a serious assessment of the president's office itself and its power limits. If the FIFA President position can make someone believe that such a broad initiative can be developed without committees and in the dark, then this mechanism must be reformed to prevent similar arrogance.
And that abuse of power - ignoring consensus - seems to be pushing Infantino into political trouble that he has successfully avoided many times during a decade in office. The call for a boycott has appeared before, but has never been made so seriously and directly threateningly. This becomes a "red line" perhaps because it is consistent with the increasingly unrestrained pattern of behavior.
One of the repeated opinions in recent days is that Infantino is trying to sell something that is not his property. It is increasingly clear that he acts as if it belongs to him - considering himself not a manager, but a football broker, who holds power and decides the purpose of its use.
After US President Donald Trump was awarded the first FIFA Peace Prize in December last year, there is no evidence that the decision came from anyone other than Infantino himself.
When the water break was included in each half of the 2026 World Cup, IFAB - the football law management agency - was not consulted at all. They also had no say when the half-time music program lasting nearly 30 minutes was included in the final match.
Along with other serious issues such as issues related to Iran, abandoning political neutrality, a challenging press conference before the tournament, Folarin Balogun's red card, celebrating 10 years as president, or most recently an Instagram post accusing criticism of "spreading hatred".
This is part of the problem. In a hasty response to the crisis, FIFA revealed passivity in explaining. Behind that is perhaps a more alarming reality. Perhaps no communication strategy was prepared, because when Gianni wants something to happen, his desire is often more than enough.
But this time not! And football is never allowed to put itself in this situation again.
