CORNERFLICK
Infantino dismisses exit question
Gianni Infantino has ruled out resigning as FIFA president, saying he has the backing of the “vast majority” of the game after months of criticism from senior confederation figures.
Speaking to BBC Sport, he said disagreement was part of football and argued that member associations should respect majority views if democracy matters.
“Resignation? Why should I resign?” he said. “I was elected by 211 member federations from all over the world.”
Pressure from across the game
Two months ago, the presidents of UEFA, the Asian Football Confederation and Concacaf signed a letter accusing Infantino of damaging trust. Since then, he has travelled to Morocco, the Dominican Republic, Cape Verde and Japan, where he said he found strong support.
He also said he had just returned from Tokyo, where the AFC backed him fully, and added that several African associations supported him during his visit to Cape Verde.
Under-15 tournament in Baku
Infantino arrived in Baku on Friday for FIFA’s Under-15 World Cup in Azerbaijan, which features teams from 189 member federations. England, Spain, France, Argentina and Brazil are among the entrants, while Russia has also sent a team.
It is Russia’s first appearance in a FIFA-run tournament since its sides were banned after the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. FIFA plans to stage the boys’ tournament again next year as a girls’ event, before moving to annual boys’ and girls’ editions from 2028. Matches are played eight-a-side on smaller pitches in 20-minute halves.