Banner Against Infantino's Re-election Appears in Times Square
A banner opposing the re-election of FIFA President Gianni Infantino appeared on Times Square in New York City on September 4, 2026, calling for his removal and accusing him of corruption and prioritizing profit over football. The protest was organized by fans and supported by criticism from UEFA and other entities.
Consensus
- A banner opposing the re-election of Gianni Infantino as FIFA president appeared on Times Square in New York City.
- The banner was displayed on September 4, 2026.
- The banner's text included the phrase 'FIFA deserves a leader, not a dealer' and the hashtag #InfantinoOut.
- The protest was organized by football fans or fan groups.
- The banner called for Infantino's removal from office.
- Infantino has been criticized for his leadership style and decisions, including the reversal of a ban on a U.S. player and plans to sell World Cup rights to private investors.
- Infantino was first elected in February 2016 and re-elected twice without competition.
- The next FIFA presidential election is scheduled for March 2027.
Points of divergence
- UEFA stated it plans to support an alternative candidate if Infantino runs again. — riamo
- In August, the NGO FairSquare filed a complaint with FIFA's Compliance, Audit and Governance Committee demanding Infantino not be re-elected. — riamo
- FairSquare previously filed a complaint with the IOC over Infantino's decision to overturn the ban on U.S. player Folarin Balogun, which was influenced by a call from the White House. — riamo
- Infantino proposed selling World Cup rights to private investors but later withdrew the idea due to criticism. — riamo
- Organizers of the protest accused Infantino of deception, blackmail, and threats in promoting the FIFA Forward Enterprise project. — vesti
- Organizers called on fans to protest against Infantino at matches, boycott FIFA tournaments, and target his leadership. — vesti
- Kevin Lamour, FIFA's Chief Operating Officer from France, resigned in August after criticizing Infantino. — vesti
- FIFA accused UEFA of running a 'defamation campaign' disguised as legal proceedings. — vm
- Former U.S. President Donald Trump supported Infantino, calling his removal a 'terrible mistake' and praising the recent World Cup as the most successful in history. — vm
- Ali bin Al-Hussein, President of the Jordanian Football Association, claimed Infantino tried to blackmail his federation. — vm
Coverage (3 sources)
- On Times Square appeared a banner against the re-election of Infantino — РИАМО
- "Remove Infantino": fans in Times Square demanded the resignation of FIFA president — Вести
- DM: Banner against FIFA president Gianni Infantino appeared on Times Square — Вечерняя Москва
Key entities
- FIFA
- Times Square
- Gianni Infantino
- New York
- UEFA
- Daily Mail
- Moscow
- USA
- NGO
- Star
- DM
- FairSquare
- Estadio Monumental
- Broadway