World Cup: Philippe Diallo directly attacks Gianni Infantino and calls for FIFA reform

Relations between Philippe Diallo, president of the French Football Federation (FFF), and Gianni Infantino are deteriorating. Disagreeing with the FIFA president on the management of commercial rights and the redistribution of World Cup revenues, the FFF boss is calling for a thorough reform of the world governing body's governance. He denounces, in particular, a system of solidarity which, according to him, should not serve electoral interests.

The rift is widening between Philippe Diallo and Gianni Infantino. Long considered close, the two leaders are now at odds on several major issues, notably the marketing of World Cup rights and the distribution of resources generated by international competitions.

Following the FFF Executive Committee meeting on Thursday, the president of the French Football Federation strongly criticized the policies pursued by his FIFA counterpart. While not questioning the principle of solidarity between nations, he believes that the current redistribution mechanisms must be reviewed to better reflect the realities and contributions of each federation.

"Solidarity is not about clientelism. It is not an electoral ploy," he declared, before calling on FIFA to review its revenue distribution criteria.

For Philippe Diallo, a uniform distribution of resources cannot be an appropriate response to the differences between countries. He argues for a system that incorporates more criteria, such as sporting performance, the size of nations, their contribution to wealth creation in football, and the number of registered players.

FIFA's governance under scrutiny

Beyond the financial aspect, the French leader also wants to see FIFA's operations evolve. He calls for the implementation of a model that limits the influence of electoral considerations on the organization's decisions and promotes a fairer distribution of resources among its members.

"I think we need to think about models in which we move away from electoralism so that we integrate new criteria that allow everyone to be not in equality, but in equity," he insisted.

This stance comes as opponents of Gianni Infantino have until November 18 to submit the candidacy of their representative for the next FIFA presidential election scheduled for Morocco in March 2027.

Philippe Diallo acknowledges, however, that the absence of an alternative candidate would limit the electoral impact of this opposition. He nevertheless believes that issues related to governance and financial fairness would remain crucial, regardless of the outcome of this election.

World Cup bonuses, another source of tension

The disagreements between the two leaders also concern the revenue paid to the federations that participated in the World Cup. Despite the considerable financial benefits of the competition, Philippe Diallo considers the share allocated to the participating nations insufficient.

FIFA must redistribute an additional 25 million euros per year to its 211 member associations, in the context of a World Cup presented as the most profitable in its history, with revenues estimated at around 15 billion euros.

According to the president of the French Football Federation (FFF), the amounts allocated to national teams are not commensurate with the revenue generated by the tournament. He particularly highlights the contrast with the Club World Cup, where 50% of the total revenue was reportedly distributed to participating clubs, compared to only 7% of the World Cup's total revenue going to participating nations.

Philippe Diallo therefore believes that the French federation has not received a sufficient financial return, despite the performance of the French team, which reached the final four of the competition.

"How is it possible that nations that have participated in a World Cup, which is the most economically profitable in history, can find themselves in a situation where, at the end of the competition, they have a negative result?" he asked.

The head of French football also pointed out that Les Bleus have reached four finals in the last eight World Cups. This record, in his view, demonstrates France's contribution to the attractiveness and enrichment of world football.

Philippe Diallo is thus increasing the pressure on Gianni Infantino. Between disagreements over revenue, challenges to redistribution mechanisms, and calls for new governance, the power struggle between the two leaders could take on an even more political dimension as the next FIFA presidential election approaches.