Uefa has strongly criticised Fifa president Gianni Infantino, accusing him of prioritising “private political interests” after he arrived more than two hours late to the organisation’s annual congress in Paraguay.
Infantino, 55, had been on a diplomatic tour of the Middle East alongside U.S. President Donald Trump and arrived at the Conmebol Convention Center in Luque, near Asuncion, two hours and 17 minutes after the scheduled 10:30 local time (14:30 BST) start.
Defending his delayed arrival, Infantino described his prior engagements as “crucial,” stating they allowed him to “represent football” in “important discussions” with “world leaders in politics and the economy.”
However, the explanation was not well received by many in attendance. Uefa president Aleksander Ceferin led a walk-out during a break in the congress, joined by a group of European delegates including Football Association chair Debbie Hewitt. Their departure left a noticeable number of empty seats when the meeting resumed.
In a strongly worded statement, Uefa condemned the “last-minute changes” to the congress schedule, calling them “deeply regrettable.”
“The Fifa Congress is one of the most important meetings in world football, where all 211 national associations gather to discuss issues affecting the game globally,” the statement read.
“To have the timetable changed at the last minute, seemingly to accommodate private political interests, does a disservice to the sport and signals that its priorities are being sidelined.”
Uefa emphasised that its members on the Fifa Council felt compelled to take a stand, stating: “We are all here to serve football, from the streets to the stage, and on this occasion, Uefa members felt it necessary to leave as originally scheduled to make the point that the game must always come first.”
The incident has sparked renewed tensions between football’s global and European governing bodies at a time when unity is increasingly seen as vital for the sport’s future governance.
