Overview
- The DFB presidium voted not to back Gianni Infantino, a decision announced on Tuesday that formalizes Germany's break with the FIFA president and raises the stakes for Europe's planned meeting in Berlin.
- European leaders say Infantino lost trust over the handling of the Folarin Balogun red card at the World Cup and a collapsed investor deal that bypassed key FIFA bodies.
- UEFA and DFB officials are meeting to try to unite a replacement but no credible candidate has publicly stepped forward, leaving Europe without a clear option before the 18 November nomination cutoff.
- Infantino has responded by winning endorsements from some federations, including Latvia and parts of Asia and the Arab world, which complicates any Europe-only strategy because FIFA elections require broad cross‑region support.
- Reports say UEFA is preparing possible legal or criminal action against Infantino, a move that could lengthen the dispute and shape the campaign between the October Council meetings and the March 2027 vote in Rabat.