Members of the FIFA Congress staged a walkout from their annual meeting on Thursday as a form of protest against President Gianni Infantino. The meeting started several hours late because Infantino was delayed returning from a trip to the Middle East, where he had met with former U.S. President Donald Trump.
Held this year in Asuncion, Paraguay, the meeting was originally scheduled for 9:30 a.m. local time but was postponed until 12:30 p.m. due to Infantino`s travel. His private jet was reportedly still airborne when the meeting was meant to start, requiring a refueling stop in Nigeria during his extended journey.
Eight UEFA members on the FIFA council, along with some European delegates, including UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin, did not rejoin the meeting after the delay.
Infantino had been in Qatar and Saudi Arabia alongside Trump, present for his meetings with Qatari Emir Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman. The FIFA president has frequently met with Trump since he has been involved in political discussions again, attending events and making multiple White House visits, described by FIFA as official business related to the 2025 Club World Cup and the 2026 World Cup hosted by the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. He also recently attended a World Cup task force meeting at the White House.
Infantino`s decision to travel to the Middle East meant he missed previously scheduled events in Asuncion, including the Congress meeting itself, which had been moved from Tuesday. By delaying the Congress by two days to be with Trump, he missed opportunities to interact with officials from member associations and skipped a dinner hosted by Paraguayan state officials.
Arriving late in Asuncion, Infantino offered an apology but also defended his actions. He stated, “As president of FIFA, my responsibility is to make decisions in the interests of the organization. I decided to spend the last two days in the Middle East knowing about the 2034 World Cup in Saudi Arabia and the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. The 2025 Club World Cup and 2026 World Cup will be in the USA, Canada, and Mexico. Important discussions about the World Cup took place, and I felt I needed to be there to represent football and all of you. We had a flight issue, which caused this delay. Apologies. Sorry, and I look forward to spending time with you here.”
His apology did not satisfy attendees, leading to the staged walkout. Several European officials departed at 2 p.m. local time, as originally planned. Lise Klaveness, president of the Norwegian Football Federation, was notably critical of Infantino`s behavior.
Lise Klaveness called Infantino`s delayed arrival “disappointing,” adding that the annual congress is crucial for the good governance of international football. She expressed concern, noting that 210 member associations traveled from around the world expecting professional leadership and high-level dialogue.
The agenda for the congress included reviewing FIFA`s annual report, electing members for various committees (disciplinary, ethics, appeal, governance/audit/compliance), and considering proposals from member associations.
