Several members of the FIFA Congress reportedly walked out of their annual assembly on Thursday, protesting against the significant tardiness of president Gianni Infantino. His late arrival, causing the meeting to begin several hours after its scheduled start, was due to his return journey from the Middle East, where he had spent time with former U.S. President Donald Trump.
The yearly gathering, held this year in Asuncion, Paraguay, was slated to commence at 9:30 a.m. local time but was delayed until 12:30 p.m. because of Infantino`s travel schedule. According to reports, his private jet was still en route when the meeting was originally meant to begin, with a refueling stop necessary in Nigeria during his lengthy flight.
Following the delay, the eight UEFA members on the FIFA council, along with certain other European delegates, did not return to the meeting. Among those noted as absent was UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin.
Infantino had been in Qatar and Saudi Arabia accompanying Trump, attending the former president`s meetings with Qatari Emir Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani and Saudi Arabia`s crown prince Mohammed Bin Salman. The FIFA president has frequently been seen with Trump since his recent return to public life, attending inauguration-related events and making multiple visits to the White House. FIFA has described these meetings as official business related to upcoming tournaments hosted by the U.S., such as the 2025 Club World Cup and the 2026 World Cup (co-hosted with Canada and Mexico). Infantino was also present at a World Cup task force meeting at the White House the previous week.
Infantino`s decision to travel to the Middle East occurred despite previously scheduled events in Asuncion, including the Congress meeting itself, which was postponed from its original Tuesday slot by two days to accommodate his travel. This meant he missed valuable opportunities to connect with leaders and general secretaries from all FIFA member associations, as well as a dinner hosted by Paraguayan state officials on Wednesday.
Upon his eventual late arrival in Asuncion, Infantino offered an apology for his tardiness but also defended his reasons for the trip.
“As president of FIFA, my responsibility is to make decisions in the interests of the organization,” Infantino stated. “I decided to be the last two days in the Middle East knowing the 2034 World Cup will be in Saudi Arabia and the World Cup in 2022 was in Qatar. The `25 Club World Cup and `26 World Cup will be in the USA, Canada, and Mexico. Some important discussions took place in regard to the World Cup, and I felt that I needed to be there to represent football and all of you. We had an issue with our flight, which made this delay happen. Apologies. Sorry, and I am looking forward to spending time with you here.”
However, Infantino`s apology did not seem to satisfy everyone present, leading to the walkout incident. Several officials from European countries departed the meeting around 2 p.m. local time, citing their original plans. Lise Klaveness, president of the Norwegian Football Federation, was particularly critical of the situation.
“The delayed arrival of the FIFA president at the 75th FIFA Congress is disappointing,” Klaveness commented. “The annual congress is the single most important body to ensure good governance of international football. The situation is concerning. [Two hundred and ten] member associations have traveled from all over the world to participate at this Congress here in Paraguay, expecting professional leadership and dialogue at the highest level.”
Key items on the agenda for this year`s FIFA Congress included reviewing FIFA`s annual report, electing members for various committees such as the disciplinary, ethics, appeal, and governance/audit/compliance committees, and discussing proposals submitted by member associations.
