European Delegates Walk Out of FIFA Congress in Paraguay Over Infantino’s Late Arrival

Gianni Infantino was appointed FIFA president in February 2016

Tensions escalated at FIFA’s annual congress in Paraguay on Thursday as multiple European representatives walked out in protest over President Gianni Infantino’s delayed arrival. Infantino, who had been visiting leaders in Saudi Arabia and Qatar alongside former U.S. President Donald Trump earlier in the week, arrived several hours late for the scheduled 10:30 a.m. start, prompting backlash from top European football officials.

Among those who exited the congress in protest were eight European members of the FIFA Council, including UEFA President Alexander Čeferin and Football Association Chair Debbie Hewitt. Norway Football Federation President Lise Klaveness, also in attendance, described Infantino’s late appearance as “disappointing” and “concerning,” emphasizing the importance of professional leadership and respect for the global football community.

Gianni Infantino joined President Donald Trump in Qatar and Saudi Arabia

“The annual congress is the single most important body to ensure good governance of international football,” Klaveness stated. “Two hundred and ten member associations have traveled from all over the world to participate, expecting professional leadership and dialogue at the highest level. We now expect FIFA to explain this situation to its members and ensure that the voices of member associations are heard and respected going forward.”

Infantino had prioritized high-level meetings in the Middle East ahead of the congress, engaging with officials from Qatar, the U.S., and Saudi Arabia—host nations of the 2022, 2026, and 2034 World Cups, respectively. His delayed return pushed the start of the FIFA congress back by three hours. Upon his eventual arrival, Infantino issued multiple apologies, attributing the delay to flight issues and defending his trip as necessary for the advancement of global football diplomacy.

Several delegates walked out of the meeting in protest at Infantino's late arrival

“As president of FIFA, my responsibility is to make decisions in the interests of the organization,” he said. “I felt that I needed to be there to represent football and all of you.”

Infantino’s appearance in Paraguay followed his participation at the White House during the first public meeting of the Trump administration’s 2026 World Cup taskforce. At that meeting, U.S. officials made controversial remarks regarding immigration enforcement during the tournament. U.S. Vice President JD Vance stated that while World Cup visitors were welcome, they would need to leave once their visas expired, joking that those who overstayed would “have to talk to Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.”

Addressing the issue in his remarks to the congress, Infantino attempted to reassure the global football community. “Those who want to come to create trouble, like in every country in the world, well, they are not welcome. They are not welcome anywhere in the world. Actually, let me be clear about that as well—they are not welcome in football. We don’t want troublemakers in football. We want troublemakers out of football.”

Despite the apologies, the walkout underscored growing discontent among some FIFA member associations regarding transparency, governance, and leadership priorities within the organization.