'The emperor is naked': UEFA chief Ceferin takes aim at FIFA boss Infantino
UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin has urged Europe's clubs to withdraw their support from FIFA president Gianni Infantino, telling a meeting in Copenhagen on 29 September 2026 that "the emperor is naked". He said it was time to say "enough". The Guardian
Ceferin leads UEFA, which runs football in Europe. Infantino leads FIFA, which runs the world game. Ceferin was speaking to the European Football Clubs general assembly, the body that represents leading clubs.
He did not name Infantino. He did not need to. He compared his conduct to Hans Christian Andersen's tale The Emperor's New Clothes, in which a child points out that a ruler has nothing on. The Guardian
Much of his fire was aimed at FIFA Forward Enterprise, known as FFE. The plan emerged in late July 2026 for a commercial subsidiary to run tournaments including the World Cup and Club World Cup. It would have involved selling a stake in FIFA. Reuters
Ceferin described that project as failed. He also pointed to two other episodes. One was the creation of a peace prize for a political leader, awarded to Donald Trump, without FIFA's board having any say over its creation or its recipient. The other was a claim that a political leader telephoned during a tournament to complain about an on-pitch decision, and the decision was then changed despite what the rules said. He also referred to last summer's Folarin Balogun affair, without giving further detail in the reported remarks.
FIFA has pushed back hard. It accused UEFA of running a "misinformation campaign" and trying to influence the FIFA presidential race. It has urged a US court to reject UEFA's request for documents for use in a planned criminal complaint against Infantino. The Guardian
That election is due next March, with nominations closing on 18 November. Ceferin told clubs to pull their backing from Infantino. RTE
EFC chair Nasser al-Khelaifi, who also leads Paris Saint-Germain, ruled himself out of that race. "I have zero interest in Fifa," he said. He told the same meeting that "now is the time to create World Football Clubs", a proposed global clubs body. He also urged Ceferin to seek another term as UEFA president. Reuters
For fans, this means more noise off the pitch before a ball is kicked. The row is about who controls the money and power around the World Cup and club football. Voters, not speeches, will settle it in March.
