Michel Platini, the former president of UEFA, has stated that FIFA president Gianni Infantino should resign due to ongoing scandals affecting the organization. In an interview with French media on Sunday, Platini criticized Infantino for failing to uphold the rules of the game. "Economic affairs are one thing, but Infantino has failed because he is the guarantor of the rules of the game and he didn’t respect them," Platini said.
Infantino has faced criticism since proposing to introduce private investment into FIFA events, including the World Cup, and has been involved in several controversies during the recent World Cup held in North America. Platini specifically mentioned the hydration breaks during matches, which sometimes lasted up to four minutes and were used for advertisements, and the extended half-time show during the final, which exceeded the maximum allowed time of 15 minutes. He also referred to the suspension of a red card ban for American player Folarin Balogun, which he claims was influenced by a phone call from former President Donald Trump to Infantino.
Platini remarked, "The ad breaks are not in the rules, the 30-minute half-time break in the final is not in the rules, and the red card, that’s the worst. He’s the guarantor [of the rules], he doesn’t respect them, he must go." UEFA has threatened to boycott FIFA tournaments unless Infantino abandons the FIFA Forward Enterprises plan for private investment, and has accused him of "criminal mismanagement" regarding this financing.
FIFA did not respond to a request for comment from Al Jazeera. Other football organizations, including CONCACAF and the Asian Football Confederation, have joined UEFA in pressuring Infantino, who is seeking re-election in March. Platini noted that if UEFA wishes to remove Infantino, it may have to pursue legal action. He added, "I always knew that he loved money and power."
Platini himself faced fraud allegations in 2015 while serving as UEFA president, as he aimed for the FIFA presidency after Sepp Blatter's resignation. Although he was acquitted of wrongdoing in 2025, he had to step down, allowing Infantino to be elected as FIFA president in 2016. Platini stated, "He didn’t bring me down, he benefitted from it." He also mentioned ongoing investigations into Infantino, suggesting that there may be more developments in the future.
Currently, Platini is suing Infantino and former FIFA officials Marco Villiger and Domenico Scala in France, seeking compensation for damages he claims resulted from their actions to prevent his election as FIFA president in 2015. He has accused them of a "criminal conspiracy to commit false accusation … influence peddling … and aiding and abetting influence peddling."