A continuing boycott of the World Cup is putting FIFA president Gianni Infantino under intense pressure, with calls for him to resign.

What is happening

NPR reports that the ongoing boycott poses a significant threat to FIFA and keeps Infantino under pressure to step down. FIFA said this week that it had apologised for errors made over Infantino’s failed plan to sell stakes in the World Cup, and that senior staff at a crisis meeting in Morocco reaffirmed their support for his presidency.

What is FIFA, and why does this matter?

FIFA is the global governing body for football and the owner of the World Cup — the most watched sporting event on earth. Its income comes overwhelmingly from selling broadcasting and sponsorship rights to that tournament, which then funds football development worldwide. A boycott threatens the product those rights are sold against, which is why a dispute about governance quickly becomes a dispute about money.

What to watch

Whether sponsors and broadcasters stay quiet or start making public demands — in sport, commercial partners often decide leadership questions long before any vote does. And whether the boycott holds or fractures as the tournament approaches.

Source: NPR, August 6, 2026.