FIFA vice-president Sandor Csanyi withdrew support for Gianni Infantino as pressure grows before the March 2027 election.
FIFA vice-president Sandor Csanyi has withdrawn support for Gianni Infantino, widening a governance dispute before the March 2027 presidential election.
Zurich, Switzerland, FIFA President Gianni Infantino faced a fresh challenge to his leadership on Wednesday after Sandor Csanyi, one of the organization's vice-presidents and a member of the FIFA Council, withdrew his backing for the president's re-election campaign.
Csanyi's decision followed the departure of FIFA Chief Operating Officer Kevin Lamour, who had publicly opposed a proposal involving FIFA's commercial operations and competition rights. Reuters reported on Wednesday that Csanyi described Lamour's dismissal as the “final straw” behind his decision to withdraw support for Infantino.
The Hungarian official's move adds to a broader challenge developing inside international football as FIFA approaches a presidential election scheduled for March 2027.
Opposition expands beyond a single FIFA official
Csanyi is not simply the head of a national football association. As a FIFA vice-president and Council member, his decision carries additional institutional weight.
Reuters reported that football officials or associations in Montenegro, Israel and Wales had also withdrawn previous support for Infantino, while other parts of world football continue to back the FIFA president.
The disagreement developed after controversy surrounding a proposed structure for FIFA's commercial operations.
FIFA had presented the initiative as a potential way to reorganize commercial rights and tournament operations while attracting outside investment. The proposal subsequently faced resistance and was withdrawn.
The dispute did not end when the commercial proposal was abandoned.
Instead, it expanded into questions about consultation, institutional scrutiny and the process used to develop major decisions within world football's governing body.
AFC, Concacaf and UEFA call for independent review
The presidents and general secretaries of the Asian Football Confederation, Concacaf and UEFA issued a joint open letter on August 10 addressing the controversy.
The confederations argued that their concerns went beyond communication problems and involved questions about governance and confidence in FIFA's decision-making.
They also called for an independent review of the process rather than an examination controlled solely from within FIFA.
That intervention was significant because the three organizations collectively represent football associations across Asia, North and Central America and the Caribbean, and Europe.
Their position does not determine who leads FIFA, but it demonstrates that the disagreement extends across several major regional football institutions.
Lamour departure increases pressure
The departure of Kevin Lamour further intensified the confrontation.
Lamour had publicly criticized the commercial proposal before leaving his position as FIFA's chief operating officer.
His exit became part of the wider leadership dispute because critics connected the episode with concerns about how internal disagreement is handled within the organization.
For Csanyi, Lamour's departure was the development that led him to withdraw his support.
The controversy therefore now extends beyond the original commercial proposal. It involves the relationship between FIFA's senior leadership, its internal executives, continental confederations and national associations.
FIFA defends Infantino's mandate
FIFA has rejected attempts to portray opposition from some officials as equivalent to a change in the organization's presidency.
In an August 8 statement, FIFA said Infantino was democratically elected by its member associations and continues to exercise their mandate.
The organization also argued that any challenge involving its presidency must follow FIFA's statutes and established electoral procedures.
FIFA alleged that some actors were attempting to undermine the organization and its president through accusations and misinformation. That characterization represents FIFA's position and is not presented by CRN Times as an independently established description of its critics' motives.
The distinction is important because the current dispute is political and institutional rather than a completed leadership change.
Infantino remains FIFA president.
Infantino retains support in parts of world football
The opposition is also not universal.
Reuters reported that the Confederation of African Football and South American governing body CONMEBOL continued to support Infantino amid the controversy.
CAF President Patrice Motsepe has argued that FIFA's member associations should ultimately determine questions about the organization's leadership through its democratic process.
That means public withdrawals of support provide an indication of political sentiment but do not automatically translate into the removal of a president.
The electoral arithmetic will depend on the positions taken by FIFA's member associations when the organization reaches its next presidential vote.
March 2027 election becomes the key test
FIFA has confirmed that Infantino intends to seek another term.
The organization's 77th Congress is scheduled to take place in Rabat, Morocco, on March 18, 2027, when the presidential election is due to be held.
FIFA's member associations will ultimately determine the outcome.
The immediate questions are whether additional associations will formally withdraw their support, whether an independent investigation or review of the governance controversy will be established, and whether another candidate will mount a credible challenge to Infantino.
Until those questions are resolved, Csanyi's withdrawal represents another measurable sign that the FIFA president is entering the 2027 election cycle with opposition from parts of the institution he leads.
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