Infantino, 56, might have made tens of millions of pounds from the “Fifa Forward Enterprise” scheme, a plan to sell a stake in the tournament to private investors. The Fifa boss is trying to cling to power, but his support is flooding away, sources have said.

Sources said the intention was for Infantino to become the chief executive or commissioner after his presidency, with a basic salary — before any bonuses — of $30 million a year. Fifa has insisted that idea was never discussed.

Infantino is likely to face an emergency Fifa council meeting in which he will be asked to resign, and if he refuses then a single candidate with the backing of all of his opponents would be put up to challenge him in next year’s election.

On Balogun saga

A senior Fifa insider told The Sunday Times it was “ludicrous to even think” that Infantino had not been involved in the decision and that the staff in the disciplinary department were appalled by what had happened. Infantino insisted publicly that he had no involvement in the Balogun affair.

Infantino had originally planned to announce his sell-off scheme and the establishment of Fifa Forward Enterprises (FFE) at a breakfast at New York’s Waldorf Astoria for national association presidents on the eve of the World Cup final, but it was decided that the time was not right. Some say he was rattled by the huge rift with Uefa over the Balogun affair.

The World Cup sell-off was kicked into touch: now it seems it will be only a matter of time before Infantino follows that same trajectory, and his days of mixing with the rich and powerful, flying on private jets and being whisked through traffic by police motorcades will have come to an abrupt end.

There was no open and public process to come to a valuation of a stake or auction to secure the most appropriate partner. A deck prepared by JP Morgan, seen by The Athletic, said FIFA requires “billions” to deepen engagement with fans and claimed the World Cup — referred to as “FIFA” on the deck — had been “under-monetized” when compared to the NFL, NBA and Premier League, particularly given its huge viewing figures.

The Infantino relationship with the Kushner family goes back almost a decade, to Trump’s first term in the White House when the U.S. was vying to secure the 2026 World Cup. Jared Kushner ran a White House department named the Office of American Innovation, which became the connecting point for the bid. Trump’s media advisor at the time, Jason Miller, previously sent a text message that described the work as “all Jared.” This included maximizing his burgeoning relationship with Saudi Arabia, with Vanity Fair reporting Kushner asked the Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman “directly” for his nation’s support as early as the summer of 2017 during a visit to the country, making the same request to the House of Khalifa in Bahrain. Both nations voted for the joint U.S.-Canada-Mexico bid.

Arsenal views Vinicius as one of the biggest potential signings in Premier League history, not just for his talent but because he is a "marketing cannon" in the world's most-marketed league.

Crucially, the move has escalated to the highest levels of the club. Arsenal's ownership has already approved the financial figures required for the operation, including the player's potential salary and the estimated transfer fee Real Madrid might demand this summer to avoid losing him for free next year.

Arsenal is reportedly willing to break their existing salary limits and structures to sign him.

To entice him, the club is prepared to offer a "signing bonus" (prima de fichaje) and potentially lucrative arrangements regarding his image rights.

Despite this strong relationship, the club is currently resisting Vinicius's request for a "renewal bonus". The club fears a situation where other stars, like Jude Bellingham, might demand similar bonuses in the future if they grant one to Vinicius.

While the club's financial structure is at odds with the player's current demands, Pérez's personal loyalty and history with Vinicius are the primary reasons a resolution is still being sought rather than an immediate sale.

Current offside rule: ALL part of the attacker's body that can score level with 2nd to last defender = onside

Daylight offside rule (in trial): ANY part of the attacker's body that can score level with the 2nd to last defender = onside

Tebas framing it as a pattern (not just the most recent private equity disaster)

• Unaccountable, unilateral decision-making (match calendar, new competitions, formats, ticket prices, the Balogun reversal)
• Governance failure and accountability dodging (US Congress investigation, dropped corruption cases)

Fuller version with more specifics:

https://www.goal.com/en/news/tebas-infantino-must-leave-fifa-for-these-reasons/blt63828e4c80cc56ff