As FIFA President Gianni Infantino faces a power crisis, the position of Argentine Football Association President Tapia is also affected. El Clarín believes that if Infantino loses internal FIFA support, Tapia's influence in international football will be weakened.

A core administrator in international football stated in an interview with El Clarín, "We will replace him." The person referred to here is precisely FIFA President Infantino. This anonymous source believes that Infantino's plan to partially privatize the FIFA World Cup and other tournaments without sufficient communication has dissatisfied many important figures.

The 2026 FIFA World Cup, co-hosted by the United States, Mexico, and Canada, is an unprecedented event that has led to a close relationship between Infantino and US President Trump. Trump has publicly praised "Gianni" multiple times, indicating their close ties.

However, Infantino is now in trouble due to a series of issues. The Athletic describes this as his "Icarus moment"—he has flown too close to the sun, and the US Congress has demanded an explanation from him regarding related matters.

Currently, Infantino faces pressure from multiple sides. UEFA has strongly questioned FIFA's related plans and warned American entrepreneur Joshua Kushner not to destroy any documents related to the proposed FIFA World Cup commercial project. Previously, Infantino had planned to sell a 20% stake in FIFA World Cup-related projects to private investors.

Meanwhile, CONCACAF and the AFC are also reported to no longer support Infantino. These two confederations have a combined total of 136 member associations, a number sufficient to influence the FIFA presidential election next March.

The attitudes of the Confederation of African Football, the Oceania Football Confederation, and CONMEBOL are still being watched. If these forces shift, Infantino's era of more than 11 years at FIFA may face an end.

Furthermore, important aides around Infantino are also divided. According to reports, Secretary General Mattias Grafström, Chief Advisor Carlos Cordeiro, and Head of Operations Kevin Lamour are all involved in this turmoil. German Football Association President Bernd Neuendorf also stated, "I learned about it from the media."

Martin Ziegler, a reporter for The Times, previously exposed related inside information, while Infantino had criticized some media for being "blinded by hatred." However, the article points out that this is not hatred, but rather journalistic reporting that has driven public attention to internal FIFA issues.

Some football administrators now believe that the FIFA World Cup is gradually becoming a commercial feast for the wealthy. For ordinary fans, high ticket prices and the cost of traveling to host cities make it unaffordable. And these administrators who once supported the FIFA World Cup are now holding the power to decide Infantino's future.

The article points out that if Infantino eventually steps down, Canadian and CONCACAF President Victor Montagliani could become a strong candidate for FIFA president. At the same time, the movements of UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin are also worth noting. Čeferin has never hidden his dissatisfaction with Infantino and may now have an opportunity to change the landscape of FIFA.

For Tapia, the situation is even more delicate. As one of the 37 members of the FIFA Council, he has maintained close ties with Infantino and CONMEBOL President Alejandro Domínguez. If Infantino loses power, Tapia's influence within FIFA may decline.

The article believes that this weakening is not the situation Tapia currently wishes to see.

Meanwhile, Domínguez has kept a low profile in the FIFA World Cup commercialization controversy, and FIFA Foundation President Mauricio Macri's side has responded with "no comment."

Macri invited Infantino to attend an event at the 2018 G20 summit in Buenos Aires, laying the foundation for their relationship. Now, with changes in FIFA's internal power structure, the alliances once built around Infantino are facing a reshuffle.

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