Gianni Infantino is so deep in a political hole that he's now phoning the US Secretary of State to try to dig his way out. According to the New York Post, the FIFA president scheduled a private call with Marco Rubio for Monday morning, ostensibly to discuss football as a tool of American soft power. Nobody buying it, though.
"We all know that it is about job protection. It is not about anything else at this point," said one insider briefed on the call. That's about as blunt as it gets from someone speaking on background.
How it unravelled so fast
The collapse started Friday, when FIFA abandoned its FIFA Forward Enterprise proposal — a plan to allow private minority investors to acquire a stake in the commercial rights to the World Cup and other FIFA competitions. The backlash from confederations and national associations was swift and overwhelming. CONCACAF and UEFA both went public over the weekend, not just opposing the proposal but calling for a "comprehensive reckoning" with Infantino's leadership. That's the kind of language you use when you want someone gone.
Infantino reportedly tried multiple times over the weekend to reach Donald Trump directly. Those calls went unanswered, hence the pivot to Rubio.
Then Monday morning landed like a second gut punch. The Football Association of Wales became the first national association to formally withdraw support for Infantino's reelection bid. Shortly after, reports emerged that the English FA would follow. Two FAs pulling backing in a single morning isn't a wobble — it's a trend with momentum.
Where this leaves the FIFA presidency race
FIFA's electoral calendar matters here. Associations that are reconsidering their backing now have time to formally shift allegiances before any vote. Each public withdrawal makes the next one easier to justify. The math starts changing quickly once the dam breaks.
Whether a phone call with Rubio actually moves anything is another question entirely. Trading on football's geopolitical value only works if the other side of the table thinks you'll still be in office long enough to deliver. Right now, that's not a safe assumption.
The English FA's expected withdrawal of support might end up being the definitive moment — England carry weight in world football governance, and their signal will be read carefully by associations still sitting on the fence.
