UEFA Vice-President Calls for New FIFA President as Custodian of the Sport

On August 6, UEFA Vice-President Laura McAllister said any future FIFA president must be a “custodian of the sport” able to unite world football. Her comments come as pressure mounts on incumbent Gianni Infantino after he abandoned a plan to create a commercial subsidiary and sell a stake in future World Cup revenues, a move that sparked fierce opposition from national federations.

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Infantino’s aborted World Cup investment plan triggered a backlash that led FIFA’s leadership to apologize to its 211 member associations and to promise a review of the processes that generated the controversy. The episode is framed by the approaching 2027 FIFA presidential election, which many observers view as a pivotal moment for the governing body’s governance and leadership structures.

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• Laura McAllister — UEFA Vice-President and former Wales women’s captain, advocating for sweeping governance reforms and democratic management of football.

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• Gianni Infantino — FIFA president whose recent policy reversal has intensified scrutiny of his administration.

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FIFA leadership reaffirmed its support for Infantino while acknowledging mistakes surrounding the investment plan and committing to a procedural review. McAllister emphasized that a credible challenger to Infantino would need broad support across football’s global membership, not merely European backing.

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• “It's not as easy as people might think. The right candidate has to also have the right level of support,” — Laura McAllister

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