​Former FIFA governance committee chair Mark Pieth has urged member associations, with a focus on Europe, to stand up to Gianni Infantino, the current president of football’s global governing body. In an interview with the German daily Tagesspiegel on Monday, the Swiss expert in criminal law mapped out potential routes to remove Infantino, who has drawn particular scrutiny from European observers.
“FIFA is an institutional association; every member federation has the right to vote, to remove someone from office, or even to pursue legal action. Every FIFA member has that option,” Pieth emphasized. The 73-year-old told Tagesspiegel that what he calls the Infantino system reflects a reluctance to push back, contrasted with the stronger checks and balances he views as lacking within FIFA.
Pieth argued that the once formal Ethics Committee at FIFA operates without genuine independence, resulting in a lack of meaningful oversight. “There is no true independence within FIFA—and therefore no real oversight,” he asserted. He went further, claiming that Infantino has refined the “(Joseph) Blatter system” and is, in his view, more driven by power and money than his predecessor, Sepp Blatter. Pieth contended that Infantino’s opponents rarely challenge him because he is perceived as untouchable. “He thinks only God is above him. And within his organization, that belief appears to hold true,” Pieth said. The former head of the independent governance committee, which was created to democratize FIFA from 2011 to 2013, reiterated his assessment that Infantino has consolidated control in a manner reminiscent of Blatter’s tenure.
Pieth also highlighted Europe’s pivotal influence in resisting Infantino’s leadership. He cited UEFA, the European governing body, as possessing a decisive leverage point against the FIFA president, who has been under additional international criticism during the ongoing World Cup held across North America. The controversy has included questions about influence from U.S. President Donald Trump, who admitted making a phone call to Infantino regarding a red-card suspension for American player Folarin Balogun; Balogun’s suspension was subsequently overturned. UEFA described that decision as crossing a red line.
“UEFA could declare: we’ll handle it ourselves; we’ll organize a major European championship separate from FIFA,” Pieth suggested. He acknowledged that many nations might be left out, but stressed that the World Cup event underscored Europe’s strength in the sport. He urged European associations to leverage that authority. “But Europe could also press FIFA aggressively under competition law,” Pieth noted. He warned, however, that there has not yet been a demonstrated willingness among European football stakeholders to unite and take decisive action against Infantino.
Pieth’s comments come as calls for reform within FIFA intensify, with critics arguing for greater transparency, accountability, and checks on executive power. He pointed to the UEFA framework as a possible template for reform: a coalition of European federations prepared to contest FIFA’s direction and governance structures if the organization fails to address concerns about governance, ethics, and independence. The discussion touches on broader questions of how to balance global governance with regional autonomy within football and whether collective European action could catalyze systemic change at FIFA.
As the football world continues to scrutinize Infantino’s leadership, Pieth’s perspective adds to the debate about how to realign FIFA’s governance with democratic principles and robust oversight. For his part, Pieth remains convinced that member associations, starting with Europe, possess the legal and political tools to push back—tools that could ultimately lead to structural changes within FIFA and a recalibration of the power dynamics at the top of the sport.