Gianni Infantino Faces Fierce Criticism from DFB Over Re-election Tactics

Gianni Infantino’s attempt to cling to power at the top of Fifa has been savaged by German FA (DFB) president Bernd Neuendorf, who has branded the Fifa chief’s promised reforms a naked re-election tactic.

Infantino is under intense pressure after being forced to abandon a controversial plan to sell a 20 per cent stake in Fifa tournaments – including the World Cup – to private investors. The backlash has been fierce and global, with his position more fragile than at any point in his presidency.

Infantino’s reform letter under fire

With criticism mounting, Infantino moved to steady his footing. On Monday evening he sent a letter to all 211 member associations and Fifa Council members, laying out what he framed as a roadmap for change.

In that letter, which several media outlets reported having seen, Infantino proposed an “independent external review of Fifa’s current governance framework”. He also insisted that the attempted sell-off had never put “Fifa’s democratic processes, independence and sporting authority” up for sale.

The wording was careful. The timing was not lost on anyone.

Neuendorf, speaking on Tuesday, tore into the move.

“I regard Gianni Infantino’s letter as a transparent ploy to secure his re-election next year,” he said, directly tying the reform talk to the Fifa presidential election scheduled for March 2027.

“Fundamentally, Fifa now seems to have recognised that changes are essential. However, Gianni Infantino is definitely not the right person to lead a reform process. He has squandered all credibility.”

Growing isolation at the top of Fifa

Infantino’s grip on power has been badly shaken in recent weeks. European governing body Uefa has led the calls for him to step down, even threatening to boycott Fifa competitions. Several Uefa member associations have already withdrawn their support for the Swiss-Italian’s re-election bid.

The resistance is no longer confined to Europe. Opposition has also emerged from the Asian confederation and from Concacaf, which represents nations in North and Central America and the Caribbean. The coalition that once swept Infantino comfortably through elections now looks fractured.

Yet he refuses to yield. The reform letter was his latest attempt to reframe the narrative, to present himself not as the architect of a failed commercialisation push but as the man to fix the damage.

Neuendorf and the DFB are not buying it.

DFB leads the resistance

Germany’s FA has been one of Infantino’s most consistent critics. Long before the latest scandal over tournament rights and investment deals, the DFB had already stepped away from him.

“The DFB has not signed a letter of support for the re-election of Gianni Infantino,” the governing body stated back in July. “Further steps will be discussed in the DFB presidential board.”

That stance has hardened as the World Cup-related controversies have unfolded and as trust in Fifa’s leadership has eroded.

Former Germany national team director Oliver Bierhoff summed up the mood in blunt terms.

“We have to take care of football,” he said. “It is already commercial but it is a property for all of football. The world views may be different but in the last weeks and months a lot happened so that we have no trust any more that it will be going in the right direction.”

The message from Germany is clear: reform is non-negotiable, but not under the current president. With the 2027 election looming and major confederations lining up against him, Infantino’s next move will define whether he survives this crisis or becomes the latest Fifa president brought down by the politics of the world game.