Infantino Invited to African Summit as FIFA Leadership Faces Growing Challenge

CAPE TOWN — September 21, 2026 — FIFA President Gianni Infantino has been invited to attend a two-day Confederation of African Football (CAF) Strategy Conference in Cape Verde next month, placing the FIFA chief at the centre of an important gathering of African football leaders as pressure builds around his leadership ahead of the 2027 presidential election.

Gianni Infantino meets newly elected African FA Presidents in Morocco – AfricaSoccer.com

The conference is scheduled for October 7 and 8 and will bring together the presidents of CAF’s 54 member associations, along with zonal union leaders and members of the CAF Executive Committee. CAF says the meeting will focus on developing African football, strengthening competitions and building sustainable football structures across the continent.

Infantino is expected to attend the conference following an invitation from CAF President Patrice Motsepe. The gathering comes at a significant moment for the FIFA president, who has confirmed that he will seek another term in the FIFA election scheduled for March 2027 in Rabat, Morocco. No challenger has officially been announced, according to Reuters, although opposition to some aspects of Infantino’s leadership has grown within parts of the football community.

FBL-AFRICA-CAF

Dispute over FIFA investment proposal

Much of the recent controversy has centred on the now-abandoned FIFA Forward Enterprise proposal. The initiative envisaged selling up to a 20% stake in FIFA competitions, including the World Cup, to outside investors.

The proposal encountered opposition from several football confederations, including UEFA, the Asian Football Confederation and CONCACAF. FIFA subsequently acknowledged that mistakes had been made in the process and said the proposal would be reviewed.

UEFA and CONCACAF leaders have since called for greater scrutiny of FIFA’s finances and proposed that FIFA distribute at least $10 million to each of its 211 member associations during the next commercial cycle.

Bilan des équipes africaines à la Coupe du Monde 2026

Africa’s position

Africa remains an important constituency in FIFA’s presidential election, with CAF representing 54 of FIFA’s 211 member associations. In April, CAF member associations unanimously backed Infantino’s re-election bid for the 2027–2031 term.

CAF’s Executive Committee also endorsed a joint update from Infantino and FIFA Secretary General Mattias Grafström regarding the Forward Enterprise controversy in August.

The Cape Verde conference therefore gives Infantino an opportunity to engage directly with African football leaders while CAF continues discussions about the continent’s future development.

World Cup review to follow

The African strategy meeting will be followed on October 9 by a review of the 2026 FIFA World Cup involving African national-team coaches. The review will be led by Arsène Wenger, FIFA’s Chief of Global Football Development, and will examine areas including tactics, refereeing, logistics and lessons from the tournament.

With the 2027 FIFA presidential election approaching, the meetings in Cape Verde will attract attention not only because of their football-development agenda but also because of the wider debate over FIFA’s leadership, finances and governance.

For African football, the conference is expected to provide an opportunity to discuss how the continent can build on the strong performances of its teams at the 2026 World Cup and strengthen its influence within the global game.