Two weeks that rocked Fifa: how Gianni Infantino unravelled, day by day

Gianni Infantino seemed to have cemented his position after the World Cup final. Then things fell apart. Photograph: Nick Potts/PAView image in fullscreenGianni Infantino seemed to have cemented his position after the World Cup final. Then things fell apart. Photograph: Nick Potts/PAFifaTimelineTwo weeks that rocked Fifa: how Gianni Infantino unravelled, day by dayFifa’s president ended the World Cup on a high, but is now battling to save his job after a series of self-inflicted blowsDavid HillsSat 8 Aug 2026 08.00 BSTLast modified on Sat 8 Aug 2026 08.01 BSTSharePrefer the Guardian on GoogleA swipe at fake newsMonday 27 JulyGianni Infantino marks the end of the World Cup by taking to Instagram with a 15-page post calling out the media for trying to sully it. He says it was a month of “joy and happiness”, and “those sitting behind their pens and papers, behind their screens, spreading hate and false rumours” about greed and his relationship with Donald Trump had let themselves down – “while we at Fifa are on the frontlines, working hard”. He says journalists should step back and instead “take a moment to reflect, meditate, pray or watch a match”.Advice not takenTuesday 28 JulyHours later, a report in the Times exposes Infantino’s secret £3.1bn plan to sell stakes in the World Cup to private investors, potentially earning him tens of millions of pounds. The deal involves the brother of Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner. Politicians and football figures attack it – including a surprise intervention from the former Fifa president Sepp Blatter. He tweets his discomfort that “the financial dimension is deeply damaging football”.First responseWednesday 29 JulyAs outrage spreads, Infantino tries to cool the mood, admitting the scheme is real but saying it is also just a “proposal, an offer … part of a democratic process, a consultation”. It later emerges that Fifa has given its 211 member associations a deadline of 19 September to back it or lose their £15m cut. Concacaf s...