Fans calling for the ouster of FIFA President Gianni Infantino took their campaign to Times Square on Friday, blasting the soccer boss on a giant billboard and urging federations to bar him from matches and tournaments.
The digital display, which went live at 6 a.m. at the corner of Broadway and West 43rd Street, flashed messages including “FIFA DESERVES A LEADER NOT A DEALER” and “SOCCER CONFEDERATIONS: REMOVE INFANTINO.”
The protest comes as Infantino faces a widening revolt over his leadership of FIFA, including the collapse of a controversial plan to bring outside investors into a commercial subsidiary that could have raised as much as $4.2 billion at an implied $20 billion valuation.
Last week, The Post reported that Infantino abruptly cancelled a planned appearance and speech at a dinner that was attended by Wall Street titans in the Hamptons.
Infantino has come under fire after his so-called FIFA Forward Enterprise proposal drew fierce opposition from UEFA and its 55 member associations, which accused FIFA of developing the plan without meaningful consultation.
The various regional governing bodies were so incensed that they threatened to pull national teams from FIFA competitions while it remained on the table.
UEFA is now seeking evidence from Josh Kushner through the federal courts here in the US for a potential criminal complaint in Switzerland over alleged criminal mismanagement tied to the proposal.
FIFA has denied wrongdoing and characterized the legal push as a “smear campaign.” No court has found that Infantino criminally mismanaged FIFA or personally profited from the abandoned plan.
The fans behind Friday’s billboard accused Infantino of trying to “sell international football” and called on soccer’s governing bodies to remove him.
“We are football fans first and foremost and believe we echo the feelings of fans everywhere regarding Infantino and the threat he poses to the future of football,” the group said in a statement.
The organizers also accused Infantino of attempting to hand control of soccer assets to outside investors and attacked his relationship with President Donald Trump, including FIFA’s decision to give Trump its inaugural Peace Prize in December 2025.
“Gianni Infantino is not a leader, he is a dealer who tried to sell the World Cup and more disturbingly, the children’s World Cup,” the group alleged.
The organizers did not provide evidence in their statement to substantiate several of their more serious allegations against Infantino, including claims that he “deceived, blackmailed, and threatened” FIFA officials or that he stood to personally receive a cut from a transaction.
Still, the protest highlights the increasingly public backlash confronting Infantino as he prepares to seek another term as FIFA president in 2027.
Infantino announced his reelection bid in April.
FIFA maintains that the 39 months he served after first winning the presidency in February 2016 — completing predecessor Sepp Blatter’s interrupted mandate — do not count toward the organization’s three-term limit.
Critics have challenged that interpretation, arguing it could allow Infantino to remain in power for roughly 15 years despite term limits introduced as part of FIFA’s post-Blatter reforms.
The dispute has not been finally resolved by an independent judicial body.
Infantino was elected in 2016 and reelected without opposition in 2019 and 2023.
During his tenure, FIFA has dramatically expanded its commercial ambitions and development spending, including enlarging the men’s World Cup from 32 to 48 teams beginning with the 2026 tournament.
FIFA says roughly $2.8 billion was made available to its 211 member associations during the first two cycles of its Forward development program.
Infantino also retains significant political support, with the Confederation of African Football endorsing his 2027 candidacy in August.
The Post has sought comment from FIFA.
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